The Prince of Wales visits the BFI Southbank

The Prince of Wales visited the BFI Southbank to celebrate 40 years as Patron of the British Film Institute.

The UK’s lead organisation for film, TV and the moving image, the BFI’s Southbank acts as the UK’s national cinematheque and presents a programme of British and international film, TV, new release, classic cinema and events.

During the visit His Royal Highness visited the BFI Reuben Library to view a selection from their archive, including pieces from Peter Sellers’ collection featuring photographs from the Pink Panther movies.

The Prince also met alumni of the BFI Film Academy from across the UK, which encourage young people into the film and television industry. Alongside the former students was actor and Prince’s Trust beneficiary David Oyelowo, who said "You need support, you need someone to say 'you're good enough', you need someone to say 'go for it' and you need someone to actually support you to do it and those are all things I think the BFI recognise and are doing."

During a reception to celebrate the BFI Southbank’s newly opened Riverfront terrace, His Royal Highness also met actor Tom Hiddleston who is a BFI Ambassador.

"The prints of early film work that have enabled the art form to become what it's become, light, sound, movement, are preserved by the BFI and without it we would lose it,” said Hiddleston. Adding, “So the silent Hitchcock’s, the prints of Lawrence of Arabia, Brief Encounter (by) David Lean, all British film is standing on the shoulders of those titans so the preservation of that material is as important as preserving the work of the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate, it's part of our national heritage."