King Charles once called Gary Barlow a ‘national treasure’ for this heartfelt reason

The monarch has expressed his fondness of the singer-songwriter who is set to perform at the coronation alongside Take That

Gary Barlow and King Charles
(Image credit: Getty)

King Charles once called Gary Barlow a 'national treasure' telling the Take That singer-songwriter, "you inspire goodwill wherever you go".


King Charles once gave Gary Barlow one of the highest honors in music and called him a 'rare species'.

The monarch, who was using his title of Prince Charles at the time, presented Gary with a Music Industry Award and commended his charity work.

Gary, who is the lead singer of Take That, is set to perform with his bandmates Mark Owen and Howard Donald in front of the King and members of the royal family at the coronation concert which will be aired on TV in both the US and UK. The historical weekend is costing in the region of $123m (£100m).

And King Charles is a huge fan of the star, having previously praised him at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London back in 2012.

He said, "Over the past 25 years, you have become one of the great stars of the British music industry and you are the very embodiment of that rare species, a national treasure. It seems to me you inspire goodwill wherever you go and your appeal transcends the ages, a very rare feat if I may say so.”

King Charles and Gary Barlow meeting

(Image credit: Getty)

Over the years Gary has supported a variety of charities from Comic Relief, The Prince's Trust, and Breast Cancer Care. And as patron of Child Bereavement UK following the death of his beloved daughter Poppy who was still-born at full term, he talked about the tragic loss he and wife Dawn suffered along with their children Daniel, 22, Emily, 20 and Daisy, 14.

He announced, "I am delighted to help to raise the profile of Child Bereavement UK, a wonderful charity that provides vital support to bereaved families. Becoming a Patron is my way of saying thank you for all the help Child Bereavement UK has given us and many other families going through the pain of bereavement."

Gary Barlow and his wife Dawn Barlow 2012

(Image credit: Getty)

Gary is set for a busy summer, with the release of the upcoming Take That movie Greatest Days, and it's not the first time he's performed for royalty.

In 2012 he teamed up with British composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber to write Sing and it was performed by a number of artists from across The Commonwealth, to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

In 2011 he performed in aid of The Prince's Trust at the Royal Albert Hall.

Take That join musicians including Katy Perry and Lionel Richie who are being replaced on American Idol so they can attend the Windsor concert and take to the stage.

Take That fans are delighted with the upcoming line up, one fan wrote, "Exciting times ahead".

Another fan put, "Looking forward to this so much … in my happy place. Thankyou You always know how to make us feel so happy"

And a third fan added, "I'm ready for it and can't wait. I'm so looking forward to the coronation concert. Already set to record, so there's no way I'm going to miss it."

Selina Maycock
Senior Family Writer

Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)