What have the royals ever done for the arts?
The Guardian | Claire Armitstead
The marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle means many things to many people, but, while loyalists are bagging their picnic spots and unpacking the union-jack party plates, some hard-pressed arts organisations will be taking a longer view. Once the party is over, reality strikes: a royal wedding means the admittance of a new member into “the firm” – and for them, a lifetime of public patronage. It has already been announced that Markle will become a partner in the Royal Foundation, set up by Princes William and Harry in 2009 as an umbrella for a clutch of charities. Besides youth work, the foundation’s portfolio is dominated by the princes’ preoccupations with the armed forces and conservation, while the charities that will be picked for Markle’s individual support will – in Palace parlance – “reflect Miss Markle’s own interests”.
The National Portrait Gallery and the art therapy organisation, Art Room, were among the first four charities to be chosen for her future sister-in-law, Kate. A clue as to where Markle’s interests might lead her – as a cosmopolitan mixed-race TV actor, with avowedly feminist views – lies in the couple’s second official engagement in January. It took them (on their own request) to the “youth-led” radio station Reprezent FM, in Brixton, south London, which is credited with launching the careers of a galaxy of DJs and grime stars, including this year’s Brit award-winner Stormzy…read more
Image: Royal fam … Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit radio station Reprezent FM, in Brixton. Photograph: Reuters