His Majesty King Charles III announced as Patron of The Royal Ballet
His Majesty The King will continue to serve as Patron of the Royal Opera House and The Royal Opera but has accepted Patronage of The Royal Ballet.
In the announcement marking the first anniversary of Their Majesties’ Coronation, it was announced that His Majesty will take on his late mother’s long-standing patronage of The Royal Ballet.
Director of The Royal Ballet, Kevin O’Hare, said:
We’re absolutely thrilled that His Majesty King Charles III has agreed to accept the Patronage of The Royal Ballet. His regular visits to watch our productions over recent years have been a great honour for the Company. Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a deeply committed patron of The Royal Ballet and we’re delighted that His Majesty the King will continue this support.
The Royal Opera House has had a long history with the British Royal Family. The Royal Ballet was awarded its Royal Charter in 1956, and The Royal Opera in 1968.
Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II became Patron of The Royal Ballet in 1956, while the former Prince of Wales became patron of The Royal Opera and Royal Opera House in 1975 and 2009, respectively.
Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House, Alex Beard, said:
For more than six decades, we have benefitted from the dedicated support of the Royal Family, and we are extremely grateful to His Majesty for continuing to recognise the work we do to bring world-class ballet and opera to audiences across the country and around the globe.
Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla last visited the Royal Opera House for a special performance of Don Quixote in November last year. The performance gathered more than 600 NHS staff, teachers, and members of the Royal Opera House’s Songs for Ukraine Chorus for a celebration of the audience’s achievements.
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
