One of the most famous brass band contests in the world will once again receive royal patronage, 102 years after it first received recognition.

The West of England Bandsman’s Festival, more commonly known as the Bugle Contest, has announced that HRH, The Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, has agreed to become its Patron.

Royal Trophy

The Royal Family, and the Duke of Cornwall in particular, has a long connection with the event, stretching as far back as 1913, when the then Prince of Wales, Duke of Windsor, presented the HRH, The Prince of Wales Challenge Cup, known as The Royal Trophy, to the winning band.

The magnificent silver cup (pictured) has been presented to the winners ever since, and is the only ‘Royal’ trophy in the banding movement in the UK.

Medals

In 1937 the Duchy of Cornwall donated a medal to each member of any band that succeeded in winning the Royal Trophy three times in a row. Just thirteen sets of the coveted awards were made before the tradition came to an end in 2000.

On the Festival’s Golden Jubilee in 1974 the Prince of Wales presented a silver inscribed trumpet to the leading cornet player in the Championship Section, whilst in 2013, the Centenary of the presentation of the Royal Trophy also came with a personal message of congratulations to the winning band.

The Festival is delighted that this Royal connection has been further strengthened in this wayBugle Festival spokesperson

Delighted

A spokesperson told 4BR: “The Festival is delighted that this Royal connection has been further strengthened in this way, especially as the Trustees are mindful of maintaining the long established traditions of this open air festival, whilst endeavouring to ensure it reflects the requirements of the present day.”