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HRH attends a gala concert to mark 100 years since the birth of Sir John Betjeman
10th September 2006
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall joined stars of showbiz at a gala concert to mark the centenary of the birth of the poet Sir John Betjeman.
The Prince and The Duchess were greeted by hundreds of tourists outside the Prince of Wales Theatre in London's West End.
Inside they were introduced to Candida Lycett Green, the poet‘s daughter, who organised the event, as well as comic Barry Humphries and actress Joanna Lumley before taking their seats.
The gala concert, hosted by Barry Humphries, was the culmination of a series of events to mark the centenary of the poet's birth. It was held in aid of the mental health charity Sane, of which The Prince of Wales is Patron.
Among those taking part in the concert were Hugh Grant, Stephen Fry and veteran actress Prunella Scales.
The Prince, who first got to know the poet during his time as an undergraduate at Cambridge in the late 1960s, praised Sir John for his defence of traditional British architecture in a personal message in the programme.
"I so admired his courage and persistence in standing up against the fashionable tide of destruction and vandalism which was sweeping this country in the 1960s”.
Sir John was a keen defender of Britain‘s architectural heritage, famous for his campaign to save the former Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras, London, from demolition in the 1960s.
The hotel is now finally set to be restored to its former glory as part of a multi-million refit.
Sir John was born on 28th August 1906, near Highgate, London.
After leaving Oxford without completing his degree, Betjeman had a varied career as a teacher, broadcaster, architectural writer and employee of the diplomatic office in Dublin and the Ministry of Information.
But it is for his poetry that Betjeman is best known, and held the post of Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death in 1984.
One of the best loved British poets of the 20th Century, Sir John is remembered for lively and often satirical verse.
The Prince has a unique knowledge of Sir John‘s work, having himself been the subject of his poetry.
In 1974, when he was Poet Laureate, Sir John wrote the "Ballad of the Investiture 1969" looking back to The Prince's accession to the title of The Prince of Wales.
The gala evening included a series of celebrity figures such as Richard E Grant, Hugh Grant, Griff Rhys Jones, Stephen Fry and Bill Nighy reading poems by Betjeman.
Reflecting Betjeman‘s wide tastes, the programme included a flavour of music hall provided by comic Ronnie Corbett and his wife the actress Anne Hart, who was a member of the Crazy Gang, Sir John‘s favourite music hall line-up.
There was also an unlikely tribute to the soap opera Coronation Street, much loved by the poet, with the show‘s Mavis and Derek - Thelma Barlow and Peter Baldwin - reunited to read some Betjeman.
Comic Barry Humphries was included in the programme alongside a dramatic choral performance from the choir of St Paul‘s Cathedral - a tribute to the poet‘s love of churches.
Even the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, made an unlikely appearance on the West End Stage and read a Betjeman poem.
The celebrity participants joined a music-hall-style line-up to close the show with the National Anthem.
After the gala The Prince and The Duchess met the performers backstage before leaving the theatre.
Barry Humphries and Joanna Lumley, who are also Patrons of Sane, revealed that the gala had raised more than £100,000 for the charity.