Britain’s Prince Charles has hired a new personal harpist.
Claire Jones, 22, has been appointed as the Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales, a post resurrected by Charles seven years ago.
Claire is the third person to fill the position since Charles brought it back after it became defunct in 1911.
The young musician, from Cyrmych, Pembrokeshire, will be paid £3,000 a year to appear at royal engagements. She said: ‘I’m absolutely delighted. It’s such an honour to have been given this role.’ Claire will make her debut at a black-tie dinner hosted by Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at Cardiff Castle tomorrow (06.06.07). She will play a harp given to the prince in 2006 by the Victor Salvi Foundation in recognition of his contribution to the promotion of harp playing.
Claire first met the prince when he visited London’s Royal College of Music last month.
She said: ‘He was very charming and said he was impressed by my playing.’ The new royal harpist began playing the instrument when she was 10 and performed a solo in front of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, when she was just 16.
Charles - the only member of Britain’s Royal Family to have his own harpist - feels that the position will help foster musical talent in Wales.
© bangshowbiz.biz
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