The smart set’s talking about... Prince Charles’ harpist

MEGHAN Markle is not the only enchanting American to captivate Prince Charles.

I hear the heir to the throne has appointed a Texan, Meredith McCrindle, to be his resident harpist at Dumfries House, the £40million Ayrshire stately home he ‘saved for the nation’.

Meredith was spotted after she enrolled as a postgraduate student at St Andrews University, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s alma mater, and was hired for a wedding at Dumfries House.

‘Music has always been my passion and to me the harp is the ultimate instrument of musical expression,’ she trills.

The Prince soon took her under his wing. ‘The highlight of any year is playing for His Royal Highness, especially for a girl from Texas, who dreamed of ballgowns and castles,’ she gushes. ‘It’s quite a big deal.’

An album she has recorded especially for the house, When Walls Speak, will be released this month: ‘It is my small contribution to the mission of Dumfries House.’

Charles has already introduced Meredith to some of his showbusiness chums, such as Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, who stayed at Dumfries while recording an ITV documentary about the Prince’s Trust.

‘I had two film crews on me at one point,’ she says. ‘Rod Stewart was one of the celebrity guests. It was a star-studded affair I will remember for ever.’

How long before Prince Charles, who learnt to play the cello at Gordonstoun, asks Meredith to join him for a duet?