His Majesty King Charles III is to retain his patronage of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

His Majesty, formerly The Duke of Rothesay, was appointed Patron of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2003.

His Majesty’s retention of Patronage of Scotland’s national conservatoire as King comes following an extensive review of the Patronages held by the late Queen, the patronages of the former Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall and those held under their Scottish titles, as The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay.

Welcoming the news, Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, said: “We are delighted that His Majesty King Charles III has chosen to retain the role of Patron of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

“Our Patron has long demonstrated a deep understanding of and advocacy for the critical role that the performing arts can play in society. He has been a tremendous supporter of access leading to excellence in the arts, as well as being an active supporter of RCS and the work of our students, alumni and staff.”

Members of the Royal Family are Patrons of a wide range of professional bodies and public service organisations. Whilst some organisations work on a national or international scale, others dedicate their time to local communities supporting specialist causes.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland received its royal prefix in 1944 from King George V. The then-Queen Elizabeth assumed the role of Patron, a role in which she continued as Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother until her death in 2002.

During Her Majesty’s Patronage, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother officially opened the Conservatoire’s purpose-built Renfrew Street campus in 1987. Her Majesty also received the institution’s first honorary doctorate at Clarence House on 17 November 1994 to mark her Golden Jubilee as Patron.

Following in his grandmother’s footsteps, His Majesty King Charles, as Duke of Rothesay at that time, became Patron in 2003.

In 2023, RCS alumnus Patrick Doyle – one of the world’s most successful film, theatre and television composers – was commissioned to compose The Coronation March for The Coronation of Their Majesties, The King and The Queen, at Westminster Abbey in May, which was performed to a global audience of nearly a billion viewers.

Later that year, RCS students and alumni, and members of the RCS community, including Honorary President Nicola Benedetti CBE and alumna and mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill, were invited to perform and compose new work for the Honours of Scotland national service of thanksgiving and dedication to mark the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla.