Royalty often appear in the audience of the Eurovision Song Contest, but usually don’t express their favourite songs. Now the HRH Prince of Wales has revealed that Eimear Quinn’s Eurovision 1996 winning song “The Voice” is among his favourite tunes.
Prince Charles revealed some of his favourite songs on British hospital radio as part of National Thank You Day. He shared his favourite tunes as a way of giving thanks to staff and volunteers of the British NHS public health system.
Eimear Quinn‘s 1996 song “The Voice” is among the 13 songs selected for the radio programme. The Celtic-inspired song was Ireland’s entry in the 1996 edition of Eurovision. Eimear Quinn’s ethereal vocals captivated the juries of Europe and gave Ireland its seventh — and to date last — Eurovision victory.
The “Voice” is the only Eurovision entry among Prince Charles’ favourites. It’s also notable that HRH selected a Eurovision song from the Republic of Ireland, rather than a United Kingdom Eurovision hit.
Prince Charles favourites are restricted to songs from the 20th century. His picks include tunes from different countries and different cultures. As well as the Celtic balladry of “The Voice”, His Royal Highness also has songs from South African singer Miriam Makeba, French chanteuse Edith Piaf, Welsh opera singer Bryn Terfel, Hollywood icons Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Scottish folk group Old Blind Dogs among others.
On the radio show, Prince Charles reveals that he picked the 1970s disco number “Givin’ Up Givin’ In” by The Three Degrees because it was played at his 30th birthday. He said it was “one of my favourites and, long ago, used to provide me with an irresistible urge to get up and dance”.
Prince Charles’ favourite songs
- “Givin’ Up, Givin’ In” – The Three Degrees
- “Don’t Rain On My Parade” – Barbra Streisand
- “La Vie En Rose” – Edith Piaf
- “Upside Down” – Diana Ross
- “The Voice” – Eimear Quinn
- “The Click Song” – Miriam Makeba
- “You’re A Lady” – Peter Skellern
- “La Mer” – Charles Trenet
- “Bennachie” – Old Blind Dogs
- “Lulu’s Back In Town” – Dick Powell
- “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” – Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
- “Tros Y Garreg/Crossing the Stone” – Catrin Finch
- “Tydi a Roddaist” – Bryn Terfel
What do you think of Prince Charles picks? Which other Eurovision songs do you think have royal appeal? Should Irish broadcaster RTÉ get Prince Charles involved with their song selection for Eurovision 2022? Tell us your thoughts below!
Yeah, I want to know what a man who treated Princess Di and his own sons like crap listens to. (Major sarcasm, if you can’t tell.) Why not ask Prince Andrew what his favorite ESC songs are, too?
Also a man who is supporting the most weird conspiracy theories – like autism is caused by vaccines. And for all of you who believe that too: No – it’s not. Definitely not. The “study” who suggested that was fabricated by a scientific nobody literally in his backyard and has been disproved many many times by real scientists.
I’d say Andy’s fave is the 1986 winner, not so much the song as the singer, go figure.
I was gonna say the same thing but wasn’t sure if I could on here.
This was a great victory of a great year. It is nice that it is still remembered. Very sadly I think in our days this song would struggle to even qualify for the final…
It’s great that The Voice is getting such recognition. Along with Nocturne it really marked the first time that the contest was won by a song that wasn’t schlager, pop or a ballad, opening the door for all the diverse winners we had in the following decades.
I agree that those victories are outstanding. But I beg to differ on its influence on what came after. Very unfortunately we are a world apart of the music quality of those years and unfortunately the winners did not reflect at all this heritage, expect maybe for 2008, 2016 and 2017.
Eimear suggests on her Insta that it might be a more recent performance that got her on the list https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ6FnijH4JU/
I do wonder if Charles realizes how political this song actually is, a message to his own country – kinda relevant now with all the Brexit trouble about the Northern Ireland border. Seems he’s on Ireland’s side. Good for him.
To any downvoters, let me explain it to you. The song is about Irishness and the British oppression of it. It was written in the 1990s, before the Good Friday Agreement was signed. Bring me your peace, and my wounds, they will heal. Brexit is now re-opening those wounds, with Westminster not seeming to care. Maybe Charles does, because he is very close to the situation with some of his own family having been killed. Boris is an idiot who knows nothing.
Eimear was just magical! The song is not my type but I see its victory as a really fair one, to date the last Irish win out of the seven! Ireland should start off taking notes from the past if they really want to retain their crown as an ESC powerhouse…
he didn’t choose these himself i bet. people chose these for him to represent many ex colonial countries like south africa and also wales,scotland and ireland just to keep everyone satisfied
Look, you have a point, but if it indeed was others that named the songs, there would be at least a handful of 2000’s or 10’s sounds, if not current classic ballads
but if they chose them for him to make it seem like he chose them himself they would choose older songs because realistically no one would believe he listens to 2000s and 10s songs
And it’s the type of song that Ireland should bring back to the contest.
It was the first year I ever watched Eurovision and my country won so it has a special meaning for me .
He loves nature, so that could explain it. I also remember Eimear Quinn saying on this year’s contest that she sang for Queen Elizabeth, so maybe his mama recommended it to him.
“We will send you our Spotify”
Good choice! Ireland still haven’t topped it
Happy fourth of July, the anniversary of the day your country freed itself from this family…
Thank you! Frankly, the two of us aren’t as different as we’d like to believe…
Really? That is news?? I’m baffled. Who cares about his musical taste??
And what kind of news are you expecting in these summer months when esc is on break
Nobody forced you to click and comment.
Nobody forced you to read my post and comment. LOL
Each to his / her own. I found this article very interesting
The difference: I don‘t downvote you for your opinion. 😉
The Voice and Secret Garden are still classic ESC winners from the 90s. Ireland’s final victory (for now) was a deserved one.
Agree. I think The Voice was the most deserved of Ireland’s 1990s victories, and Why Me the least deserved (by far, my winner of 1992 is definitely Cyprus).
The Teaser of this Post refers to Donna Summer among the Princes Favorites. I think you mean Diana Ross?
Literally zero surprise he picked a song by The Three Degrees, seeing as he was shtupping one of them back in the day.
I don’t blame him. That song is so beautiful
“The Voice” is such a memorable song; it is my favourite winning song for Ireland at Eurovision. Great choice. 🙂
N.B. Could Eimear return to Eurovision? I’ll leave that question open.
She could, but I don’t think she would.
She knows she probably wouldn’t top her previous result.
If we ever win again, I wouldn’t mind her coming back as an interval act though when we host.
She’s married to the top guy at the EBU though
She’s married to the top guy at the EBU though – so no wonder she won back then.
That’s stupid. He was the Irish HoD in 1996, that’s how she met him. A Eurovision love story. He became boss of RTÉ in 2011, and then boss of the EBU in 2016… twenty years after Oslo.
Purple, have you heard Eimear’s 2020 song, Hibernia? I can see that doing well, at least a lot better than poor Lesley. Ireland even looks lovelier in Eimear’s video than in Lesley’s. I recommend it.
Yes, thanks Jonas. 🙂
It’s a nice song; beautiful video. The orchestral arrangement reminds me of Karl Jenkins’ music.
Out of our 7 wins, “The Voice” is definitely my favorite too. Still listen to on occasion when I’m feeling patriotic (usually after a few Jameson Sours).
But jokes aside, it’s still a tune and has aged really well. Considering this was 1996, I think “The Voice” would still get a respectable result in a modern day Eurovision. Maybe not win, but I still think it would top 10 by today’s standards.