The Prince of Wales joins Classic FM for two special programmes

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has joined Classic FM presenter Alan Titchmarsh for a radio programme highlighting his love of music and the arts, as well as his concern about the effect of the current health crisis on the lives and livelihoods of live performers and arts bodies. 

“I couldn’t exist without it [music] and I think a lot of people couldn’t, which is why it’s so important to find a way of making sure all these wonderfully talented people, who give us all this pleasure, can continue to do so, despite all the horrors we seem to be going through at the moment. In fact, it’s even more important because of that and I think probably more and more people are turning to music now to try to give them some solace in all this anxious time.”

In the two-hour programme, His Royal Highness celebrates his life-long support and enjoyment of classical music and live performance, with each piece personally chosen by him from recordings by his extensive musical Patronages across the UK.

Those Patronages include: Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Monteverdi Choir, English Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Bach Choir. 

And two of The Duchess of Cornwall’s Patronages: London Chamber Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

His Royal Highness is President or Patron of more than 20 musical organisations and many, many more arts institutions. Read more here for a full list of Their Royal Highness’ Patronages.

The Prince has also presented his own two-hour programme, in which he selects some of his best-loved pieces of music, with personal accounts of their importance to him. 

His Royal Highness takes a great interest in the arts and is passionate about how it can benefit others. The Prince and The Duchess regularly attend theatre and opera performances and classical concerts, as well as visit exhibitions and galleries, sometimes as public events to support charities and sometimes privately.

The Prince is able to give support to organisations in the worlds of art, music and theatre - as he does in many other fields - through becoming Patron or President. 

The programmes were originally broadcast on Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th May, at 8pm. Listen back to the Classic FM programmes here.