The Prince of Wales got confused about what ska music was during his trip to Coventry as part of celebrations marking its status as the 2021 UK City of Culture.
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, made the trip to the city on Tuesday (25.05.21), and the royal pair visited the cathedral, an art gallery and an old hospital and were also given a tour of the 2-Tone: Lives and Legacies music exhibition at Herbert Art Gallery.
However, Charles got ska mixed up with soul when he met Pauline Black, who is the lead singer of The Selecter.
The heir to the throne asked: “Is it soul music?”
To which Pauline replied: “No, it’s not soul music – it’s something called ska music.”
Coventry is the birthplace of ska music – a fusion of traditional Jamaican ska music with elements of punk rock and new wave which originated in the UK in the late 1970s – with scene pioneers The Specials heralding from the Midlands city as well as Pauline’s group, famous for their hit ‘On My Radio’.
The 72-year-old prince and his 73-year-old wife also attended a service at Coventry Cathedral where the bishop informed Charles that it was 59 years ago that his mother Queen Elizabeth had been in the city for the cathedral’s consecration, after it was rebuilt following the original building being bombed during World War II.
Speaking during the service, the bishop said: “The consecration of Coventry Cathedral, 59 years ago, took place in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen, and it is a deep joy, Your Royal Highnesses, that you have graced us today with your presence.
“Throughout decades of public service, His Royal Highness has been dedicated to the nurturing of understanding between peoples, to building peace in the world and to the restoration of hope among those who might despair. Time does not allow me to pay proper tribute to those efforts to improve community relationships, deepen inter-faith understanding and raise the aspirations and life chances of young people.”
It was Charles’ first public outing since his son Prince Harry’s appearance in the Apple TV+ docuseries ‘The Me You Can’t See’ in which he accused the royal family of “total neglect”.
The 36-year-old royal claimed he was desperate for help and support from his relatives after his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, “struggled” with her new role in the British royal family but the couple were met with “total silence” from his dad and everyone else.
He said: “I thought my family would help, but every single ask, request, warning, whatever, it is just got met with total silence, total neglect.”