Singer-songwriter Ella Windsor opens up about changing children’s lives through music, teaming up with the Princess of Wales and her plans for the future

Following in the footsteps of her famously philanthropic family (right, with the King at Ascot in June 2023), Ella is devoting her energies to supporting music in schools

If there’s one thing Ella Windsor knows about, it’s music. Having released eight singles – making her the only member of the royal family ever to have published their own songs – she’s clearly well connected in the music world.

So, when she attended a charity gala four years ago and heard a fabulous band she didn’t recognise, she worried that she was losing touch.

“I thought: ‘Who is this band?’” she recalls with a laugh. “I must be the only person on the planet who doesn’t know who they are; I’m clearly out of the loop.

“Then someone said to me: ‘They’re not famous; they’re a school band.’ Honestly, the quality of the playing was so impressive that I’ve been hooked since that moment.”

The event in question was a gala dinner for a charity called Restore the Music, which provides state schools across the country with musical instruments and music tech. The charity raises funds from individuals and partners such as historic piano-makers Steinway & Sons, creating opportunities for more than 110,000 young people via access to a music education.

Recently, Ella, 44, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, became patron of the charity, which also helps schools to provide music lessons and inspire children to make music together. Last week, she was delighted to attend its 2025 gala celebrations, at Nobu Hotel London Portman Square, in her new role.