The King becomes patron of RLPO

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (RLPO) has today announced that King Charles III has accepted the patronage of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society, Orchestra and Choir.

The news follows a recent review of royal patronages conducted by the Royal Household, following The King’s accession to the throne two years ago. The King’s accepting of this patronage follows the legacy of the late Queen Elizabeth II who was patron of the society and orchestra from 1958 until her death in 2022.

RLPO chief executive Michael Eakin OBE said: ‘For over six decades, we were honoured to have the support of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who became our patron in 1958. As the UK’s oldest orchestra, and one of the largest cultural organisations in Liverpool, we strive to enhance and transform lives through music. We are immensely grateful to His Majesty for recognising the work we do through our Orchestra, Choir, and extensive learning and community engagement programmes.’

Dating back to 1840, the RLPO is the UK’s oldest continuing professional symphony orchestra. It was the first orchestra outside of London to be allowed to use the word 'Royal' in its title, and its choir was given Royal patronage in 1990 to celebrate the Society's 150th anniversary.