If there’s one thing Ella Windsor knows about, it’s music. Having released eight singles – the only member of the royal family to have ever 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 suddenly worried 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 really out of the loop! And then someone said to me, no they’re not famous, they’re a school band. Honestly, the quality of the playing was so impressive, I’ve been hooked from 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 world class musical instruments and music tech resources. The charity raises funds from individuals and partners such as historic piano-makers Steinway and Sons, creating opportunities for more than 110,000 young people through access to a music education.
Recently Ella, 44, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, became patron of the charity, whose work also includes supporting schools with their music lesson provision and inspiring children to create music together. Last week, she was delighted to attend their 2025 gala celebrations at Nobu Hotel in London, in her new role.
© Damien Hockey“It was so uplifting to hear the students play,” she says, with a broad smile. “One of the school bands kicked off the evening with Proud Mary which was fantastic. There was so much energy.”
The charity works with schools in some of the most deprived communities across the country. “Even if those schools have music departments, they often don't have instruments to bring the music classes to life,” Ella explains.
© Phoebe Rolls“Restore the Music’s work has such an impact on the lives of these children, both through music and in general. For a lot of the schools the charity serves, attendance levels are a real challenge. Just getting the children through the door can be a battle. So the fact that many schools can now offer these stunning instruments from saxophones and drums to electric guitars and Steinway pianos is a massive incentive. To date the charity has served 110,000 young people across the UK. And it’s growing.”
This isn’t the first musical celebration that Ella’s passion for music and philanthropy has led to in recent months. Last year, the singer-songwriter was personally invited by the Princess of Wales to help put together Kate’s now annual carol concert, Together at Christmas.
© Getty Images“It was such an honour to be involved, and very thoughtful and kind-hearted of the Princess to include me. I was very touched,” she says of the invite that came at a painful time in her life. “She was so lovely to work with, always gracious, very creative and with so much vision and passion for the many charities and causes she supports.”
She adds: “The Princess’s carol concert is such a brilliant event and idea, to thank and shine a light on hundreds of the most outstanding charities in the UK. I was happy to have a little part in it. My role was to support on the musical side of things, and to put forward artists and ideas.”
© Phoebe RollsFor Ella, who was a keen supporter of Restore the Music at the time, but not yet a patron, it was an opportunity to include some of their talented students. “Two of the school bands played Christmas classics to guests as they arrived at the Abbey which the guests loved. The students also really enjoyed it,” she remembers. “As did Gregory Porter and Rosey Chan, who were some of the other artists I put forward. It was very positive all around.”
Despite working closely with the Princess of Wales, not even Ella knew everything about the finer details of the big event before the actual night. Kate told Prince Louis that she had arranged a secret ballet performance for Princess Charlotte to enjoy, and was extremely proud that her son, then six, had managed to keep it quiet from his big sister until the evening of the event.
© Phoebe Rolls“There were surprises for everyone, even the people involved” says Ella, of the Princess’ ability to deliver magic for all. “It was a very special idea of hers to include ballet dancers at the concert – I didn’t know that there would be children as well as adult dancers, all brightly and beautifully dressed as they danced through the abbey. It was a wonderful gathering of creative people, and it was extremely moving. I loved it and I was really touched to be asked. It was very kind of her.”
Ella’s passion for music started when she herself was a child. She vividly recalls her own musical start in life: “I remember going to a delightful programme when I was very little called Fun with Music. It was led by this amazing lady, Ann Rachlin, who created an enchanting world for us, telling us stories set to classical music which brought the pieces to life. She sat in this wonderful big wicker chair with a high back - that was my first very magical and memorable experience of music when I was tiny.”
Her musical interests continued to blossom – at boarding school (“a wonderful friend used to make me tapes introducing me to all kinds of bands, which I would listen to in the evenings”) - and beyond, including work stints in South America.
“I spent some time in Madrid when I finished school, working at Warner Music and taking flamenco dance classes, and I became very aware of different kinds of music. Later, while writing and starting to work with various initiatives in Latin America, I spent a few years living in Brazil, Argentina and Colombia,” Ella says. "I loved discovering samba, tango, salsa and Bossa Nova. On the first night of my first visit to Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro, I was lucky enough to hear [Brazilian composer and performer] Caetano Veloso sing and play under the stars. And friends invited me to dance in the carnival.”
© Damien HockeyThe opportunity to don an oversized animal costume and join a troop of 200 samba dancers was a last minute one for the young royal. “Friends in Rio were dancing with a samba school in the carnival parade,” she remembers. “They asked me to join them. It was quite the introduction to samba! I had no idea what I was doing and was completely over-awed by the proper dancers but just tried my best to keep up. Thankfully the others were warm and forgiving!”
During her time in Rio, she was particularly drawn to Brazilian jazz and Bossa Nova which came to inspire her own music. Meeting her Argentine musical producer, Enzo Buono, soon led to the release of her jazz singles, which she writes herself.
She met Enzo via the global non-profit, Playing for Change Foundation with which Ella was closely involved, releasing her first few singles to raise awareness. Her earlier songs were recorded remotely, Ella in the UK and the musicians in Los Angeles, but more recently she recorded with an Argentine jazz band, in Buenos Aires.
© Phoebe RollsFor her the songs always start with the lyrics. “I'm continually writing songs,” she explains. “Some for recording – though not all. When I’m ready, I usually put a demo together with Enzo, and when we're happy with that, we then record. Recently, I’ve been writing a lot of lyrics. I hope to record some more songs soon.”
Having music in her life is something Ella is very thankful for, for myriad different reasons. “Music's always, always been in the picture for me. And writing music is now increasingly of interest personally, alongside my work. I listen to music everywhere,” she says. “At home, in the car, when I’m driving.”
Does she sing loudly, Carpool Karaoke-style? She smiles. “I’m sure I have done yes, not so much recently but yes, I’ve been guilty of that.”
The only time she doesn’t listen to music is when she’s working. “I just find it too distracting,” she admits. “But generally, I find music to be very powerful. It can instantly change your mood and outlook and can sometimes transcend all else.”
© Phoebe Rolls“And I think good music can be very uniting and connecting. For children learning music thanks to Restore the Music’s work, there's a massive social benefit to it as well. For those struggling with confidence or just struggling in school in general, having this camaraderie, of creating something with others, can really make a massive impact.”
Watching Ella attend her first gala event as the charity’s patron, it’s clear to see the pride and joy the new role brings. And as she talks eagerly about her desire to do all she can to support and promote the work of CEO Polly Stepan and her team are doing, you can tell she’s determined to get fully involved.
“In the coming months I’m really looking forward to visiting more of the schools served by Restore the Music,” she says. “I’ve been to two so far, but it's like a jigsaw puzzle, there are so many different schools throughout the country. It’s exciting to get to really understand and support everything they’re doing.”
When it comes to the future, Ella has a lot in the works. “I plan a lot of projects, but I'm also open to opportunities that come up, like song-writing partnerships and professional collaborations,” she says. “I’m currently working with MAD Impact Foundation — Make a Difference — on a global concert for climate set to take place on the shores of Brazil days before COP30. It’s a celebration and a call to action, and will bring together a fantastic line up of artists and speakers to amplify the moral urgency of the climate crisis,” she says, clearly excited about the event, all proceeds of which will directly fund climate technology solutions as well as climate education.
“For now,” she says with purpose, “my focus is on this, as well as my new role as patron of Restore the Music. I’d like people to know what an exceptional impact this charity can have on children’s lives.”
Restore the Music would like to thank Creative Design - TerryTerry Ltd & WOWOW events for the event production and management.
Ella Windsor is on Spotify and all other digital streaming platforms.
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