Prince Charles doesn’t do first names

Prince Charles doesn’t do first names

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norman lebrecht

December 26, 2018

The BBC is putting out advance copies of the Prince’s interview with Michael Berkeley in Radio 3’s series Private Passions.

From the Telegraph transcript:

The Prince confirmed that he had tried his hand at conducting a professional orchestra in order to replicate the music for the Duchess of Cornwall for her 60th birthday. “[It was] entirely at the suggestion of the Philharmonia, of which I’ve been a very proud patron for nearly 40 years,” he said, adding that it happened thanks to the persuasion of Warren Green, the lead violinist and conductor.

“They are a remarkable orchestra,” said the Prince. “He was terribly keen I should conduct it. I said, ‘You must be out of your mind’. Finally, he persuaded me against my better judgement and we did it as a special surprise.”

Would that be Christopher Warren-Green?

Comments

  • steven holloway says:

    Many of us are of an age and background that “doesn’t do first names” as a matter of course. I wonder if the BBC or the Telegraph is responsible for omitting the hyphen? Had they put it in, there might not be a post here.

    • norman lebrecht says:

      The BBC sent out an audio track.The Telegraph copied it slavishly.

      • Singerjohn says:

        Would that be the same slavish copying – or lack of any sub-editing – that led the Telegraph journalist, Hannah Furniss, to refer to Beethoven’s Fifth conducted by “Herbert Von Carrion”?

        • V.Lind says:

          That’s nothing. The Telegraph doesn’t distinguish between “it’s” and “its” any more, nor does it seem to feel it necessary to spell someone’s name in an article the same way every time they use it. Never thought I could be wistful for the reprehensible Conrad Black, but the rot started after he went.

          This generation, of course, cannot spell and doesn’t understand grammar (so there is no language in which you can explicate the above error to them). Of course they have never heard of anyone who was not born five minutes ago, and do not read, and the notion of “looking it up” (as in the clearly best guess at what they heard in the case of HvK’s name) would be incomprehensible to them.

          Believe me, I know. I deal with senior year university students.

          They are now teachers and editors.

  • Alexander says:

    it also might be The Telegraph slip of pen or Charles slip of tongue …. nothing much at all , just my opinion, of course …

  • Peter says:

    Isn’t it fun to point out other people’s trivial slips ? I’m surprised there were no comments on Prince Charles’s conducting.

  • Una says:

    Seems he doesn’t do all these complicated double barrelled names – hyphenated or not – rather than not first names! Glad I never inherited one – have enough trouble having my first name mispronounced by the English!! Ha, ha!

  • Duncan says:

    was that Winsor speaking?

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