Katherine Jenkins: Welsh wonder
The celebrated Welsh mezzo-soprano, Katherine Jenkins, splits her time between her homes in south west London, Wales and New York, writes Jason Hill
Katherine Jenkins has performed all over the world. She is a favourite of the Royal Family, has sung for the Pope, appeared alongside ballerina Darcy Bussell, recorded and has performed with the likes of Placido Domingo, Andrea Bocelli, Jose Carreras, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Il Divo, to name but a few.
But she also has spent much of her down time in south west London, buying a home in East Sheen and getting married at Hampton Court Palace. Here we look at her incredible rise to fame.
Today the 44-year-old is best known as the record-breaking multi-platinum-selling mezzo-soprano renowned for her unique interpretations of popular songs, operatic arias and hymns – but her l;ove of music started early.
By the time she was seven, Jenkins’s interest in pop music had been superseded by classical music. She started taking piano lessons and learned to sing as a chorister at her local church, St David’s.
After winning a number of singing competitions when young, she was accepted into the Royal Academy of Music, aged 17. She first became noticed nationally and internationally in 2003, when she say in honour of Pope John Paul II at Westminster Cathedral. She was also modelling and worked as a freelance voice coach when she was offered the ‘biggest recording deal in UK classical music history’ by Universal Classics and Jazz. She released her first album, Premiere, for which she earned her first classical Number One and her first BRIT Award for Best Album. She’s gone on to release a large number of hugely successful albums. Katherine officially became the world’s most successful classical singer in 2019, having had 12 Number One albums in 12 years.
In March 2014, Katherine headed to Buckingham Palace to receive an OBE for services to music and charity work, celebrating her 10 years in the music industry and her fundraising efforts.
She also flew to Camp Bastion in Afghanistan to meet troops and perform two special concerts. She has a long-standing association with the British Forces Foundation, for which she is a trustee, and is also known as the Forces’ Sweetheart, a title to which the original Forces’ Sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn gave her seal of approval.
She’s a favourite with the Royals too, having performed for the late Queen on many occasions, including the Queen’s 90th birthday at Windsor Castle in 2016 and celebrations over the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend. Following the Queen’s death in September 2022, Katherine was selected to record a new version of God Save The King for BBC Radio 4. The recording took place in a small, remote church in Sussex, where Katherine recalls she had a ‘moment of silence and prayer before singing from the heart’. She said that she was conscious of wanting to interpret the words in a new way and ensuring she remembered the change of lyrics, but her ultimate focus was on what the song signified. ‘In that moment, I was trying to remember what an amazing life had gone before with Her Majesty and think of the future’.
She tied the knot with at Hampton Court Palace in 2014, with American artist and film producer Andrew Levitas. The grandeur and history of the palace resonated with her love of tradition and romance. She said: ‘Hampton Court felt magical – the perfect place to bring together our families and celebrate love in such a timeless setting.’ They have two children, Aaliyah and Xander.
Like any working parent, Katherine says it’s a juggle, and she hasn’t perfected it yet. ‘I love being a mum – it is truly the best thing that ever happened to me. It just requires a lot of forward planning, and I am very thankful to have family who help when Andrew or I have to travel.’
While living in East Sheen, she says she loved the tranquility and picturesque surroundings: ‘I love spending afternoons in Richmond Park… it’s such as beautiful, peaceful place.’
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Katherine Jenkins website.
Image: Katherine outside Hampton Court Palace for Songs of Praise: A Coronation Celebration © BBC/Afanti Media/David Waters