Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex Becomes First Ever Royal Patron of U.K.’s Production Guild
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The Production Guild of Great Britain (PGGB) has found its first ever royal patron in Prince Edward, also known as the Earl of Wessex.
To mark the appointment, Prince Edward met with some of the production crew at Twickenham Film Studios in West London, where films including “The Italian Job” and “Blade Runner” have been shot.
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Among those Prince Edward met were Oscar-winning sound editor Tim Cavagin (“Bohemian Rhapsody”).
Prince Edward has always taken an interest in the arts and before becoming a full-time working royal in 2002 worked in both theater and television, even running his own television production company, Ardent Productions, which made films including “Edward on Edward.”
The PGGB represents professionals in film and television drama production including accounting, locations, assistant directing, post-production and VFX. It focuses on offering industry advice, training, employment opportunities and, in partnership with the British Film Commission, increasing diversity in production.
The annual PGGB awards, recognizing achievement within the industry, are set to take place on March 26.
“The Production Guild of Great Britain provides incredibly valuable support to the U.K.’s production industry and crews, especially those in the less glamorous and visible roles,” Prince Edward said. “If we want more young people to consider a career in production, then we ought to be shining a brighter light on where the opportunities lie. I look forward to working with the Guild and trying to help them in their efforts to broaden access and inclusion within the UK production workforce.”
Producer Alex Boden, who is the PGGB’s chair, said: “As a patron of the arts with a personal interest in developing employment opportunities for young people, the Earl of Wessex is uniquely qualified to become PGGB’s first royal patron. We’re at a point where the creative success of the U.K. film and TV industry delivers an increasingly significant contribution to the national economy. With His Royal Highness’ support we will continue to showcase our members’ outstanding work as well as the importance of broadening the diversity and inclusion of the UK production workforce, and nurturing new talent entering the industry.”
Lyndsay Duthie, PGGB CEO, added: “We are absolutely delighted to have the support of HRH The Earl of Wessex as our inaugural Patron. We are excited to develop this relationship and shine a spotlight on the work that our brilliant members do as world class content creators.”
Cara Sheppard, managing director at Twickenham Film Studios, said: “We were honoured to welcome The Earl of Wessex, a long-time supporter of our industry, to Twickenham Film Studios today. We were delighted to give His Royal Highness a tour of all of our filming stages and our BAFTA and Oscar-winning Sound and Picture department, and to introduce the Earl to some of our clients and in-house creative talent. It is hugely encouraging to feel the genuine support for increasing diversity and inclusion within our industry and attracting and training the next generation of filmmakers.”
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