Princess Eugenie to mentor King's young hopefuls on changing the world

Telegraph

16-05-2025

Princess Eugenie is to mentor the King's pick of young creatives he hopes will promote change in the world over decades to come.
The Princess, 35, met several of the 35 'changemakers' last week, including milliner Barnaby Horn, painter Jo Rance and knitwear designer Marie Bruhat.
It is hoped that Prince Andrew's younger daughter, who is a director at Hauser & Wirth art gallery in Mayfair, will use her experience of the arts world to inspire and elevate their work.
The King's Foundation last week announced its list of '35 under 35' who will act as charity ambassadors throughout its 35th anniversary year, flying the flag for the King's beloved heritage crafts and the environment.
The group – which includes a composer, an architect, several climate activists and a sustainable florist – joined forces for the first time on Thursday evening at a launch event at the Garrison Chapel, the charity's central London base.
Dame Ann Limb, chairman of the board, said the foundation had been 'surprised and overwhelmed' by the hundreds of applications from young people keen to align with the organisation and promote the King's belief that everything in nature is interconnected, including ourselves.
'As a woman in her 73rd year, I'd like to think this is the generation that will carry this on,' she said of their work. 'And the King will want that.
'What struck me was the diversity of skills and talents, and the scale of their ambition, which was quite breathtaking in its boldness.'
'A timely project'
The King's Foundation was founded as the Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture by the then Prince Charles in 1990. Six years earlier, the heir to the throne had famously described a proposed extension to the National Gallery extension as a 'monstrous carbuncle', prompting the design to be swiftly scrapped.
Dame Ann suggested that the '35 under 35' scheme was a timely project that brought the King full circle.
'This has come at the right moment because in 1990, the Institute of Architecture was founded by a younger prince who had a moan about architecture at the National Gallery,' she said.
'Well, he, as the King now, and the Queen, have just been back to reopen that new extension of the National Gallery. And so times move on. And I think this has caught the mood for the next 35 years, because traditional skills, their reinvention and application is very much more in demand now than it was.'
Laura Young, a climate scientist, said it was 'heartwarming' and 'encouraging' to know that climate change was part of the King's personal ethos. 'He doesn't just turn up to events, he really embeds in his own work,' she said.
'The recognition that there is a young generation full of ideas is the most exciting thing about this programme.
'It's lovely to look around the room and see fashion designers, florists, joiners, people who are doing sustainability in their own sphere being inspired by this initiative. And it's also great to connect, because it's the collaboration that makes the most impact.
'Tonight is the origin of something and it will be what we make of it. Just the name, the King's Foundation gives credibility, and unfortunately in today's world, you need a bit of that. It also opens doors.'
Kristina Murrin, chief executive of the foundation, said that many of the courses run by the foundation were born out of a need to maintain skills that had all but disappeared, which in turn had inspired the search for 'the most exciting, the most energetic, the most inspiring' young people who would keep those skills alive.
She said she hoped the scheme would create 'lifelong friendships and collaborations' as well as providing connections and guidance from a team of mentors, including Princess Eugenie, about how to grow a business.
Mr Horn said it would be invaluable to have a member of the Royal family on board who had an interest in both fashion and the art world. 'My work crosses over between art and fashion so Princess Eugenie is a perfect mentor,' he said.
Composer Jack Pepper said: 'What I stand for as a musician, as a creative, is breaking down barriers, and that's what then attracted me to the foundation
'Equally, that's what the environmental philosophy of the King is about – how can people come together and work together - harmony being the principle underlying all that they do.'