Cambridges hit right note as they get the Cardiff party started
Prince George and Princess Charlotte helped get the Platinum Jubilee party started in Cardiff yesterday, as they turned their hands to running the sound, lighting and conducting an orchestra.
The young Cambridges made a surprise appearance at Cardiff Castle, joining the preparation for a Platinum Jubilee Concert and taking an uncharacteristic star turn themselves.
With the encouragement of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, they had temporary free rein on the sound and light decks for the main concert stage, looking thrilled as they realised they had the power to change the levels as a choir sang live before them.
The Duchess shared snippets of their own musical talents, with Prince George learning the electric guitar, Princess Charlotte practising the piano, and the family all appearing to be big fans of Encanto and its catchy song We Don’t Talk About Bruno.
It is the first time the two children have made an official visit to Wales.
Prince George, eight, will one day be Prince of Wales, and – as the Duchess told one concert organiser – lived in Anglesey when he was a small baby.
They undertook a rare walkabout, capturing the spirit of the Platinum Jubilee by chatting happily about their appearance at Trooping the Colour and hearing plans for the Cardiff celebrations. In a nod to their Welsh hosts, the Duchess wore a vivid red dress from Eponine and earrings from local brand Spells of Love.
Prince Louis, four, did not join the family for the 90-minute-long event, after his star turn on the Buckingham Palace balcony this week. As Prince William joked to one member of the public during a walkabout, the little boy could have done “anything” in the excitement, including lying down on the floor for fun.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte, seven, at times appeared shy during the event, one of very few official engagements they have done in their short royal lives.
Both politely shook hands with dignitaries and countless members of the public, introduced over and over by their parents as “this is George, and this is Charlotte”.
When one man commented on their big week of jubilee celebrations, the Duchess stroked their hair fondly and said: “They’ve been busy!”
Sticking close to their parents and often holding hands with either Duke or Duchess, the children were dressed smartly: George as a mini-me of his father in a smart suit and brown suede shoes with no tie, and Charlotte with her neat plaits and white ankle socks.
The Duchess kept up a stream of encouragement as the children walked onto a large grass area in front of a stage, in the shadow of the castle.
As the Welsh Pops Orchestra struck up with the refrain of We Don’t Talk About Bruno, the Duchess started dancing on the spot in her high heels.
But as the family was invited into a small tech tent, George and Charlotte were absorbed in the array of buttons before them.
A clearly thrilled George tried his hand at sliding the sound mixing buttons to vary which performers were loudest, listening through headphones as he was shown how to isolate one microphone.
At one point, the family laughed as the eager George caused a screech of feedback, with the culprit jumping slightly and giggling.
“What does this do?” he asked Chris Hewitt, the front-of-house sound engineer who was showing him the ropes. Afterwards, Mr Hewitt said of George’s efforts: “He was doing a bigger gig than I was at his age.”
At the lighting deck, Charlotte joined in with the questions, watching how she could wield the power to turn stage lights on and off.
When it was time to move on, Prince William reminded his children: “Say thank you! We’ll go before we break anything.”
Princess Charlotte gave a final flourish of lighting before the family left, walking across the grass to the main stage where they would be introduced to performers from the Wales Youth Choir for Good and Welsh Pops Orchestra.
The family were invited to try conducting the orchestra, with onsite expert John Quirk handing over his baton. The children initially shook their heads, unsure of what to do, but the Duke led the way in an enthusiastic amateur flourish he joked only served to prove the orchestra – which didn’t miss a beat – quite rightly “don’t listen to him, anyway”.
Enticed by a medley from children’s film Encanto, Charlotte was persuaded to have a turn, looking utterly delighted with the orchestra’s efforts under her baton.
The Duchess did her own spot of conducting, to Tom Jones’s anthem Delilah, dancing along to the music before a rendition of Sweet Caroline.
The family were then introduced to Welsh weatherman Owain Wyn Evans, who rose to fame in lockdown when he drummed along to the BBC news theme tune.
The Duke pointed out his glamorous gold jacket, trousers with a shiny gold seam, and sparkly shoes in admiration.
“You need some in your hair too,” Prince George said.
Prince George was introduced to a Welsh schoolgirl, who shared the same birthday as him, July 22.
“On July 24th last year, we were already making a birthday list for next year so I hope you’ve done the same,” William told her, smiling.
As the family walked off stage together, the Duke told George and Charlotte: “Well done! Good conducting.” While they continued meeting and greeting, Bonnie Tyler rehearsed Total Eclipse of the Heart in the background.
“I’ve never had to shout over Bonnie Tyler before,” the Duke said afterwards. “She’s a bit of a hero.”
Before they left for London, running around 15 minutes over schedule, the Cambridges met members of the public visiting the castle.
Anna Jones, 53, who had been in town to pick up her wedding dress, and new friend Sandra Harris, 74, engaged the children in a lively conversation about the Jubilee.
“Where’s your brother?” they wondered. Prince William told them the trip would have been a bit much for the four-year-old, gesturing to the floor where he jokingly predicted Louis might have laid down.