King Charles honoured with significant gesture by Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House is set to unveil new stage curtains, commissioned in honour of the King, blending practical necessity with a significant symbolic gesture.

The current curtains, which have graced the Covent Garden venue for 26 years and witnessed over 10,000 performances, have reached the end of their operational life.

Their replacements will feature King Charles’s personal cypher, underscoring the enduring connection between the monarchy and the arts, a spokesperson for the Royal Ballet and Opera confirmed.

Crafted from mohair velour, the new pair will comprise two sections, each measuring 9.75 metres wide with a 10.8-metre drop. The project involves collaboration with renowned specialists Gerriets and the Royal School of Needlework, with an unveiling anticipated in May.

It is estimated that the current main stage curtains at the Royal Opera House have been opened and closed on more than 10,000 performances (Alamy/PA)

Sir Alex Beard, chief executive of the Royal Ballet and Opera, highlighted the dual purpose: "This commission is part of a vital programme of renewal across the Royal Opera House, addressing areas of the building last updated in the 1990s.

“The new curtains are not only a celebration of tradition and artistry, but a necessary investment in the future of our stage. We are proud to honour His Majesty’s patronage in such a prominent and lasting way."

This significant upgrade has been made possible through a generous grant from the Julia Rausing Trust, known for its support of artistic excellence. The funding forms part of a broader investment aimed at modernising the Royal Opera House’s staging and lighting infrastructure.

Charles is patron of the Royal Opera House (PA)

The announcement comes as the organisation has experienced a 10 per cent cut in Arts Council England funding as many institutions in the arts sector face similar withdrawals of funding – like the English National Opera (ENO), which has relocated to Manchester after it was told by the Arts Council in 2023 that it would lose its £12m of its funding unless it moved out of the capital.

“We suffered our own cuts – 10 per cent in Arts Council funding, and the economic pressures we feel are no different to those felt by others,” Royal Ballet and Opera chief executive Alex Beard told The Guardian in 2024. “[But] in that context it’s so important to put a confident foot forward and invest in the future of the art form.”