Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, is to become patron of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.
The Duchess will be following in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who was the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain's patron for almost 50 years until her death in 2002.
In a statement, one of the orchestra’s cellists, 16-year-old Sarah Hughes, gave her reaction to the announcement: ‘NYO is such an inspiring organisation. It’s brilliant to think that a member of the Royal family thinks so too. I can’t wait to play for The Duchess.’
The National Youth Orchestra won the Queen’s Medal for Music in December last year, becoming the first organisation ever to do so.
Later this summer the orchestra will perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony alongside the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, the Irish Youth Chamber Choir and Codetta at the BBC Proms, conducted by Vasily Petrenko.