After the accession of King Charles III to the throne, former and current royal harpists played for several important occasions. During the king’s first visit to Wales as monarch, former royal harpist Claire Jones performed as King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla made their way through the Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament) to hear a motion of condolence. Jones played “Gorymdaith i’r Frenin Siarl” (A Procession for King Charles), a piece composed for the occasion by Jones’ husband Chris Marshall. Harpists Cerys Rees and Nia Evans, from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, also performed with Jones.
“It was such a privilege to be his official harpist for four years [from 2007 to 2011], and during that time I performed over 180 times for the royal family, including one-to-one for Her Majesty the Queen and for many state occasions for Her Majesty over the years,” Jones says. “The performance at the Senedd was a very special moment as I performed my husband’s music for His Majesty King Charles.”
As part of the same visit to Wales, King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla visited Cardiff Castle. Current royal harpist Alis Huws performed in the castle’s banquet hall, playing the royal harp for King Charles for the first time since his accession. Huws also performed at Llandaff Cathedral alongside Catrin Finch, who was the first to hold the position of royal harpist after its reinstatement by the former Prince of Wales. The two harpists performed with the Llandaff Cathedral Choir as part of a Service for Prayer and Reflection, attended by the king and queen consort.
“I was saddened to hear the news of the passing of [Her Majesty] The Queen,” Huws says. “She was a remarkable woman and I feel privileged to have met her during my time working for The Royal Family. My thoughts are with His Majesty The King and The Royal Family at this difficult time.”
Check out Harp Column’s cover interview with Claire Jones in our July/August 2011 issue, for the inside story on her performance at the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Learn more about Alis Huws and her appointment as royal harpist in our 2019 announcement. Read our feature interview with Catrin Finch in our March/April 2020 issue.
