Queen Camilla, patron of English National Ballet, hosted a reception on Wednesday to celebrate the company’s 75th anniversary, according to a statement issued by Buckingham Palace.
The royal family’s Instagram account shared several photographs and videos of the event organized by the Queen.
The statement said: “During the event, Her Majesty met with staff, dancers and fans to recognize the company’s celebrated legacy, its innovative creation of new works and its learning and engagement programme.”
It said: “The Queen became Royal Patron of the English National Ballet in June 2024 and visited her home in east London, the Mulryan Center for Dance, in September 2024.”
The wife of King Charles III hosted the reception in the Central Hall of Buckingham Palace, during which Aaron S. Watkin, artistic director of the English National Ballet, and Sir Rupert Gavin, president, said a few words before principal dancer Sangeun Lee performed ‘The Dying Swan’.
The palace said: “Her Majesty met Sangeun Lee alongside dance advocate and former English National Ballet president Angela Rippon and Dame Arlene Phillips before meeting guests including the Company’s Dance for Parkinson’s and ENBYouthCo programmes.”
It said: “The Company was founded in 1950 as the London Festival Ballet by Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, with the pioneering ambition of taking ballet beyond opera houses.”
