Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup


The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup is a rowing event at Henley Royal Regatta open to school 1st VIIIs.

History

The event was instituted in 1946 for public schools in the United Kingdom. It was opened to entries from overseas in 1964, and that year Washington-Lee High School became the first overseas crew to win the event.
The inauguration of this race coincided with future queen Princess Elizabeth's first visit to the regatta, and so permission was given to name the trophy "The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup".
The PE is one of only a few races in the regatta which does not allow composite crews to be entered, and as such each race is a straight competition between one club and another. As the most prestigious race of the schoolboy rowing year, the event attracts strong competition both from the UK and abroad. For British crews, winning the PE can be the final victory needed to win “the triple", a prestigious achievement which comprises winning the Schools' Head of the River Race, The National Schools Regatta and finally the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, all in the same year.
Eton College have won the event 14 times, St Paul's School 6 times, Ridley College 5 times and Abingdon School, Bedford School, Hampton School, Pangbourne College, Shrewsbury School and St. Edward's School have each won the event 4 times. Radley College is the most frequent losing finalist having done so on 6 occasions, Eton College have done so on 5 occasions. Hampton School, St. Edward's School and St Paul's School have been the losing finalists on 4 occasions. The King's School Canterbury shares the record with Oundle School for most losses in finals without having ever won the event. The event was opened to foreign crews in 1964, since when American crews have won the event 14 times, Canadian crews 7 times and Australian crews 3 times.
The current record holder for the event is St Paul’s School, having finished the course in 6 minutes 06 seconds in the final against Eton College in 2018, completing “the triple” in doing so. They beat the previous record for the event by 11 seconds, held by Abingdon School.

Winners

1946–1974

The course record times for the event are: