It is with great sadness that we learnt of the death of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, at the age of 99 on 9 April 2021.

The Duke of Edinburgh visited the International Festival on numerous occasions after Her Majesty The Queen became Patron of the International Festival in 1952. Her Majesty assumed the role of co-patron alongside HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, who had held the position of Patron since the founding of the International Festival in 1947. The Royal Family returned to the International Festival a number of times during Her Majesty The Queen’s years as Patron, last visiting in 1999 when The Queen officially opened The Hub, Edinburgh’s Festival Centre, which remains the home of the International Festival.