LONDON (Reuters) – From works by Jamaican reggae legend Bob Marley and Australian popstar Kylie Minogue to singer Raye, King Charles has revealed in a new broadcast some of the music which has brought him joy over the years and formed the soundtrack to his life.
The works are among a playlist of 17 songs chosen by the British monarch titled “The King’s Music Room”, which will be aired on Monday and Tuesday on Apple Music’s global radio stations to celebrate Commonwealth Day.
“Throughout my life, music has meant a great deal to me,” Charles says in a trailer for the broadcast, filmed at Buckingham Palace, which will be released on Friday.
“It has that remarkable ability to bring happy memories flooding back from the deepest recesses of our memory, to comfort us in times of sadness, and to take us to distant places.”
Apple said that as well as sharing his playlist, Charles, 76, also relays anecdotes about his encounters with some of the artists and why the songs had been important to him.
Featuring artists from around the Commonwealth, Apple said the diverse playlist included 1930s crooners, Afrobeats stars and newer artists as well as Marley and Minogue.
Charles said the idea seemed an interesting and innovative way to mark Monday’s Commonwealth Day, the annual celebration of the voluntary association of 56 nations which evolved out of the British empire and which he now heads.
“So this is what I particularly wanted to share with you, songs which have brought me joy,” the king says.
“Thank you for listening. I wish you all every possible blessing.”
The King’s Music Room will be broadcast on the Apple Music 1 station at 6 a.m. GMT on March 10.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar)