Former Soft Machine musician turned composer Sir Karl Jenkins has spoken out after he was bizarrely mistaken for Royal Family member Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, at the recent Coronation of King Charles III.
Jenkins was in attendance having been asked to compose a piece of music to be played at the ceremony; Tros y Garreg, which translates as Crossing The Stone and is based on a Welsh folk song.
However, a large number of the millions viewing around the world took to social media when Jenkins – sporting a robust moustache, a distinct mop of grey hair and shades – appeared on screen, with some claiming he was Prince Harry's wife in disguise. Others quipped that he was former US President Donald Trump, some suggested Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst in Dad Vibes mode, and some made reference to the Beastie Boys video for Sabotage.
"I was quite surprised that some people thought I was Meghan Markle in disguise," Sir Karl said on video released on TikTok. "Someone wrote I was there to steal the crown jewels.
"I look this way all the time. Oh, and my moustache... I've had the moustache since I was 18 years old. It was very trendy then. So that’s me. Nothing sinister about it or surprising at all!"
Jenkins co-founded the jazz rock group Nucleus in 1969 and joined Canterbury legends Soft Machine in 1972, appearing on Six and Seven (both 1973), Bundles (1975), Softs (1976) and Land Of Cockayne (1981). Jenkins also appeared on a version of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells which was recorded live in the BBC Studios in 1973, and later on 2008's Music Of The Spheres.
Jenkins went on to create a large amount of music for the advertising industry, including the Levis Jeans 'Russian' series of ads in the 1980s. His solo breakthrough came in the early 1990s with the world music song Adiemus and subsequent series of albums. He recorded and performed his Requiem in 2005. Jenkins was awarded an OBE in 2005, a CBE in 2010, and was knighted in 2015.
@karljenkinsofficial ♬ Jenkins: Adiemus - Karl Jenkins
