09 November 2023 , 06:31
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Andrea Bocelli - who has taken on a starring role in the new John Lewis's Christmas advert - will go down in history as one of classical music's biggest-selling living artists. The Italian tenor has garnered fans across the globe thanks to his vocal talents - including the British royal family.
Andrea, 65, has a relationship with a number of royal figures, and was given the honour of performing at the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooskbank in October 2018, and, later, at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
The opera star had a close connection with the late monarch, and previously recalled a bittersweet story about a private moment they had shared together before her death.
Andrea Bocelli has a long-standing connection with the British royals (Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images for Bvulgari)The pair both had a passion for horses; Andrea even converted a seaside hotel in Tuscany into stables near his home. He told the Belfast Telegraph in 2018 that he spoke to the Queen while visiting Windsor a few days after Princess Eugenie's wedding, and although the pair went out to look at her horses, they were too short on time for a ride then. Andrea said: "She promised. She said that one time, when I'm in England and a little bit less busy, we can do it."
The star also spoke about the experience of performing at Eugenie's royal wedding, thought to have been a 'favour' to his friend, mother of the bride, Sarah Ferguson. Andrea said that on the day of the wedding, he was "in trouble with my voice. I was very tired". Not that guests noticed as his beautiful voice rang out around St George's Chapel. He revealed that he had brought along his son Matteo as his plus one - and that the 16-year-old had been over the moon to discover he was sitting next to supermodel Kate Moss.
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Andrea recalled a special moment he shared with the Queen (Getty Images)The wedding was not the last royal event Andrea would headline. Four years later, he performed at the Platinum Party at the Palace, once again backed by the orchestra as he sang the Giacomo Puccini aria, Nessun Dorma.
Speaking to The Telegraph shortly before the performance, Andrea revealed that his pre-show nerves were worsened by the fact that he knew the performance would be televised - and that he was only performing one song.
He shared: "At concerts where I will only perform one piece that will appear on millions of TV screens, it's like kicking a penalty, you know? The last penalty. It is psychologically difficult."