TEENAGE violinist Anthony Knight has met the Princess of Wales after she invited him to attend a Royal carol service in Westminster Abbey.
Anthony, aged 17, who lives in Minehead and attends Taunton School, was recognised for his £20,000 charity fund-raising for the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Appeal and for UNICEF’s work with children from war torn areas.
The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales organised the carol service on Friday (December 8) to highlight the importance of building supportive, nurturing environments for children and the adults in their lives.
Before the service the Princess made a point of meeting and chatting with Anthony about his grand tour of major European cities where he has been giving afternoon recitals in hotels of pieces by Telemann and Bach to entertain guests and raise funds.
The latest leg of the tour took Anthony to the Baltic countries of Latvia and Lithuania this week, where he performed in the lobby lounge of the Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga on Monday (December 11) and will play in the Grand Hotel Kempinski Vilnius on Thursday (December 14).
Next year he will embark on the central European leg of his tour and is booked to perform in the lobby lounge of Palais Hansen Kempinski, Vienna, on Monday, February 12, the Winter Garden Atrium, in the Aria Hotel Prague, on Thursday, February 15, and the living room of Kempinski Hotel Corvinus, Budapest, on Saturday, February 17.
Anthony said: “It was such an honour to meet The Princess of Wales. It was like a dream.
“I was ushered to the front of the Abbey, near to the Princess and her family.
“The Princess was greeting some of the young people at the front before the carol service and I was blown away when she came up to me.
“She is so warm and kind hearted.
“This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, for which I am so grateful and honoured.”
Anthony’s mother Solveiga said: “The Princess seemed delighted to meet Anthony and was genuinely interested in hearing about his charity work.
“She said that she was very grateful for what he was doing and encouraged him to keep up the good work.”
Anthony is still seeking sponsorship for his UNICEF Grand Tour and anybody who would like to support him can find his Gofundme appeal here.