Shakespeare fan King Charles III signs up as patron of the RSC
HIS Majesty King Charles III has accepted the patronage of the Royal Shakespeare Company, succeeding the late Queen.
In response to the news revealed last Friday (10th May) an RSC spokesperson said: “We are deeply grateful that His Majesty has accepted the Patronage of the RSC. As our president, the Prince of Wales was an ardent supporter of our work – onstage, in the classroom and online.
“In accepting the role of patron, His Majesty not only acknowledges his deep and long-held passion for Shakespeare, but also recognises the contribution of the work of William Shakespeare to the life and culture of the UK and the wider world.”
The King became president of the RSC in 1991 and is known to take a keen interest in Shakespeare, having performed in plays whilst at school and university.
While at Gordonstoun School, near Elgin, he took part in a number of school plays including Shakespeare’s Macbeth, in which he played the lead role in November 1965.
The King has been a regular visitor to Stratford, and has been known to arrive low-key to see shows at the RSC. In 2016 he even appeared on the RST stage.
Among all the amazing concerts, performances and exhibitions that were put on to mark the 400 years since Shakespeare’s death in that year the undoubted highlight was the RSC’s Shakespeare Live! show, broadcast around the world by the BBC on 23rd April.
It featured performances of some of the greatest dramatic scenes ever written, played by some of the greatest actors, as well as songs, comedy, dances and music celebrating Shakespeare’s legacy. Perhaps most memorable was the Hamlet skit, which culminated in an appearance by the then Prince.
Greg Doran, who was RSC artistic director at the time, previously explained to Herald Arts how he had got Prince Charles to take part in the Hamlet sketch: “Charles has been our president at the RSC for 25 years and we wanted something to mark that and when I told him about the show, and because he is a fan of Shakespeare and the RSC, I took my courage in my hands and said how about being in it, and he jumped at it.
“I knew that he would be game and up for it and just wanted to make it appropriate and fun — he read [the script] and loved it. I must say it helped that I had the genius Tim Minchin assist with the writing.”
It was Shakespeare that the King turned to when in search of a suitably poignant quote after The Queen died. He ended his first televised speech addressing the nation as its new monarch on 12th September 2023 with the words “May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest”, said by Horatio to Hamlet as he lay in his arms dying.
The King again invoked Shakespeare in his first speech to the UK parliament: “As Shakespeare says of the earlier Queen Elizabeth, she was ‘a pattern to all princes living.’ As I stand before you today, I cannot help but feel the weight of history.”
Last year members of the RSC joined King Charles and Queen Camilla who hosted a reception at Windsor Castle to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the publication of the First Folio.
Short performances were given by Dame Harriet Walter, Sir Simon Russell Beale, Ray Fearon, and others. Also in attendance were Greg Doran, chair of the RSC board Shriti Vadera, and co-artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey.aniel Evans and Tamara Harvey.
