The Prince of Wales has become patron of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) as it prepares to marks its 75th anniversary.

Heir to the throne Charles stressed the importance of protecting the arts during the pandemic.

The orchestra, which has welcomed a new music director, Vasily Petrenko, has pledged to help communities recover from the Covid-19 crisis.

RPO managing director James Williams said he was honoured to have Charles as patron.

“At the RPO, we have been hard at work for some months, shaping a bold strategy for our concert, community engagement, inclusion and education programmes to enrich communities when it matters most; we aim to help people and businesses to rebuild after the long, dark months of lockdown,” he said.

“With the announcement of the Prince of Wales as our patron and the appointment of Vasily Petrenko as our new music director, the RPO is well placed to lead the resurgence and spread the joy of orchestral music in a post-Covid world.”