{"id":49849,"date":"2024-11-14T11:55:16","date_gmt":"2024-11-14T10:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/d6edb34d-9720-475b-9122-16e737171f7e"},"modified":"2024-11-14T12:09:20","modified_gmt":"2024-11-14T11:09:20","slug":"king-charles-and-music-what-has-the-monarch-contributed-to-the-classical-music-landscape","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/king-charles-and-music-what-has-the-monarch-contributed-to-the-classical-music-landscape\/","title":{"rendered":"King Charles and music: what has the monarch contributed to the classical music landscape?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 14 November 2024 at 10:55 AM<\/p>

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King Charles III, known for his longstanding passion for the arts, has made notable contributions to the world of classical music. Beyond his royal duties, he has supported composers, musicians, and music institutions, using his platform to preserve and promote this cherished art form.<\/p>

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<\/div> <\/figure> <p>Below, we explore the ways King Charles has influenced classical music – from championing new compositions to fostering music education and preservation – demonstrating his commitment to enriching cultural life and supporting musical talent.<\/p> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What has Charles done for classical music?<\/h2> <p>King Charles III has been an active supporter of classical music and the arts throughout his lifetime. He serves as president or patron of a large range of musical ensembles, as we will see below. He also commissioned <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/prince-charles-coronation-music\"><strong>12 new Coronation works<\/strong><\/a> by British composers to be played during his Coronation in 2023. These included the first-ever Welsh-language piece to be sung at a Coronation:<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/welsh-hymns\">Welsh hymns: the most beautiful religious songs from Wales<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/welsh-songs\">Welsh songs: 7 traditional Welsh folk songs you can’t help singing along to<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"King Charles III coronation: Bryn Terfel sings Kyrie eleison | ABC News\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/piYmpYiWFbo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <p>Charles has also dabbled in music performance himself: <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/king-charles-cello\">he played the cello as a student, performing with the orchestra of Trinity College, Cambridge.<\/a><\/strong><\/p> <p>His Majesty recalled practising <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/ludwig-van-beethoven\">Beethoven<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/beethoven-fifth-symphony\">Fifth Symphony<\/a><\/strong> in his bedroom, ahead of a performance with the college orchestra. He used the famous 1960s recording by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/trouble-karajan\/\">Herbert von Karajan<\/a><\/strong> and the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/berlin-philharmonic\">Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra<\/a><\/strong> as his guide.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/simon-rattle-and-berlin-philharmonic\">Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic: seven of the best recordings<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <p>In 2019, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/hrh-prince-wales-feature-bbc-radio-3s-private-passions\/\"><strong>in an interview for BBC Radio 3’s <em>Private Passions<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Charles discussed the music that has influenced his life with presenter Michael Berkeley. His musical choices included <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/joseph-haydn\">Haydn<\/a><\/strong>‘s First Cello Concerto and – once again – Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/haydns-cello-concertos-1-2\/\">The best recordings of Haydn’s Cello Concertos<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <li><strong>Haydn’s First Cello Concerto scored highly in our list of the<\/strong> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-cello-concertos-of-all-time\">greatest cello concertos of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <p>The monarch also has experience of singing in choirs. As a child at Gordonstoun School, Charles sang in the school choir – and also played trumpet in the orchestra.<\/p> <p>He later sang with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebachchoir.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Bach Choir<\/strong><\/a>, the illustrious British choir whose past music directors have included <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/charles-villiers-stanford\">Charles Villiers Stanford<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/ralph-vaughan-williams\">Ralph Vaughan Williams<\/a><\/strong>. He now serves as the choir’s patron. His time with the choir included a 1978 performance of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/george-frideric-handel\">Handel<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s Coronation Anthems in St George\u2019s Chapel, Windsor Castle. The Bach Choir also performed at <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/charles-diana-wedding-music\">his 1981 wedding to Diana Spencer.<\/a><\/strong><\/p> <p>Prince Charles has been a vocal advocate of the arts for many years. During the COVID pandemic, he spoke publicly about the ‘enormous importance’ of orchestras and theatres in the UK. ‘It’s absolutely crucial that they come back twice as enthusiastic as before,’ he told Classic FM in May 2020.<\/p> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Which musical organisations does Charles serve as patron?<\/strong><\/h2> <p>Here is just a selection of the many orchestras, choirs and organisations for which Charles serves as patron or president.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Royal Philharmonic Orchestra<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Charles took on the role of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/royal-philharmonic-orchestra-announces-prince-charles-as-its-new-patron\/\">Royal Phil patron during 2021<\/a><\/strong>, the orchestra\u2019s 75th anniversary year. That year also saw the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/royal-philharmonic-orchestra-appoints-vasily-petrenko-its-new-music-director\/\">appointment of Vasily Petrenko as the orchestra\u2019s new music director.<\/a><\/strong><\/p> <div class=\"wp-block-group highlight-box is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"> <div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"\/> <\/div> <\/div> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Bach Choir<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Founded in 1876, the Bach Choir has two notable individuals at its top table. The choir’s president is the choral composer <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/john-rutter-composer\">John Rutter<\/a><\/strong>. It has an illustrious history, with past music directors including composers <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/charles-villiers-stanford\">Charles Villiers Stanford<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/ralph-vaughan-williams\">Ralph Vaughan Williams<\/a><\/strong>. Charles, meanwhile, has been patron since 2002. He also sang in the choir during the 1970s – and the Bach Choir performed at his wedding to Diana in 1981.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/which-is-the-best-vaughan-williams-symphony\">All nine Vaughan Williams symphonies, ranked<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM)<\/strong><\/h3> <p>The <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/GB.abrsm.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ABRSM<\/a><\/strong> delivers over 650,000 music exams and assessments every year in 93 countries. Charles serves as the Board’s president.<\/p> <div class=\"wp-block-group highlight-box is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"> <div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/abrsm-launches-classical-100-initiative\/\">ABRSM launches ‘Classical 100’ initiative<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <\/div> <\/div> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>BBC National Orchestra of Wales<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Charles has been patron of <a href=\"http:\/\/bbc.co.uk\/bbcnow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Wales’ national symphony orchestra<\/strong><\/a> since 1993.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Chorus<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Charles has served as patron of the <a href=\"https:\/\/philharmonia.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Philharmonia Orchestra<\/strong><\/a> since 1980, and of its affiliated <a href=\"http:\/\/philharmoniachorus.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Chorus<\/strong><\/a> since 1986.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Royal College of Music<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Opened by royal charter in 1883, the <a href=\"http:\/\/rcm.ac.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Royal College of Music<\/strong><\/a> has trained some of the most important figures in classical music. Its distinguished list of alumni includes the composers <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/gustav-holst\/\">Holst<\/a><\/strong>, Vaughan Williams and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/benjamin-britten-composer\/\">Britten<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Campus Tour | Royal College of Music\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jT0QmLeTkL8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <p>Charles has been president since 1993, and has awarded fellowships, doctorates and honorary degrees others to the likes of Sarah Connolly, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/antonio-pappano\">Antonio Pappano<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/lang-lang\">Lang Lang<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/conductor-christopher-hogwood-among-musicians-receive-honours-royal-college-music\/\">Christopher Hogwood<\/a><\/strong> and Alfie Boe.<\/p> <div class=\"wp-block-group highlight-box is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"> <div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/six-best-lang-lang-performances\">Six of the best: Lang Lang performances<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/what-are-the-best-music-colleges-and-conservatoires-in-the-world\/\">What are the best music colleges and conservatoires in the world?<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <\/div> <\/div> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Welsh National Opera<\/strong><\/h3> <p>The <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/wno.org.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WNO<\/a><\/strong> is a hugely important part of Wales’ musical landscape. As Prince of Wales, Charles became patron in 1997.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>English Chamber Orchestra and Music Society<\/strong><\/h3> <p>One of his longest appointments, Charles has served as patron for the <a href=\"http:\/\/englishchamberorchestra.co.uk\"><strong>English Chamber Orchestra<\/strong><\/a> since 1977. The most recorded <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/why-dont-chamber-orchestras-get-their-due\">chamber orchestra<\/a><\/strong> in the world, the ECO has a discography of some 860 recordings of over 1,500 works by more than 400 composers.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/worlds-best-orchestras\">These are the world\u2019s 28 best orchestras – and their finest recordings that you must hear<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Vivaldi: Winter (from The Four Seasons) - English Chamber Orchestra\/Stephanie Gonley\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Q_kj3kowTTk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama<\/strong><\/h3> <p>For over two decades now, Charles has served as patron of this <a href=\"http:\/\/rwcmd.ac.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>renowned conservatoire<\/strong><\/a> specialising in practical and performance-based training in music and drama.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Royal Conservatoire of Scotland<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Another world-leading conservatoire of music, drama, dance, production and film, the <a href=\"http:\/\/rcs.ac.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Royal Conservatoire of Scotland<\/strong><\/a> is based in Glasgow.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Scottish Ballet<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Charles became a patron of <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/scottishballet.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Scotland’s national ballet<\/a><\/strong> in 2009.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Scottish Chamber Orchestra<\/strong><\/h3> <p>This <a href=\"http:\/\/sco.org.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>internationally celebrated chamber orchestra<\/strong><\/a> is made up of a unique collection of talented musicians who attract audiences of all ages.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Birmingham Royal Ballet<\/strong><\/h3> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brb.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Birmingham’s ballet company<\/strong><\/a> is one of the UK’s five major ballet ensembles, recognised internationally for its excellence. Charles has served as president since 2003.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>British Youth Opera<\/strong><\/h3> <p>This <a href=\"http:\/\/byo.org.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>leading training opera company<\/strong><\/a> helps budding singers, directors, designers and stage managers on their way to careers in opera. The company has enjoyed Charles’ services as patron since 2000.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"'It's definitely a little family we've made' \u2013 BYO participants explain BYO\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/N5AtXKpWZT0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Live Music Now \/ Live Music Now Scotland<\/strong><\/h3> <p>This <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/livemusicnow.org.uk\">organisation<\/a><\/strong> and its <a href=\"http:\/\/livemusicnow.org.uk\/scotland\"><strong>Scottish equivalent<\/strong><\/a> were founded by violinist Yehudi Menuhin and Ian Stoutzker in 1977, to bring live music to thousands across the UK. Charles is a patron of both organisations.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Since 2010, Charles has been a patron of the three Monteverdi ensembles: the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/what-is-the-monteverdi-choir\">Monteverdi Choir<\/a><\/strong>, English Baroque Soloists and Orchestre R\u00e9volutionnaire et Romantique. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/sir-john-eliot-gardiner\/\">John Eliot Gardiner<\/a><\/strong> is founder and artistic director of all three ensembles.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/baroque-music-guide\">Baroque music: a guide<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Royal Opera House Orchestra and Chorus<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Covent Garden’s world-famous Royal Opera House leans heavily on its great <a href=\"http:\/\/roh.org.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>orchestra and chorus<\/strong><\/a>, with their high standards across a diverse repertory.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Three Choirs Festival Association<\/strong><\/h3> <p>The <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/3choirs.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Three Choirs Festival<\/a><\/strong> is the oldest non-competitive classical music festival in the world, and divides its time between the elegant cathedral cities of Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester. Charles has served as president of the Festival Association for more than two decades.<\/p> <p>Main image: Prince Charles practices his cello at Trinity College Cambridge, whilst an undergraduate there. \u24b8 Getty Image<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Published: Thursday, 14 November 2024 at 10:55 AM King Charles III, known for his longstanding passion for the arts, has made notable contributions to the world of classical music. Beyond his royal duties, he has supported composers, musicians, and music institutions, using his platform to preserve and promote this cherished art form. These are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":49850,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"6"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/king-charles-and-music-what-has-the-monarch-contributed-to-the-classical-music-landscape.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/king-charles-and-music-what-has-the-monarch-contributed-to-the-classical-music-landscape-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/king-charles-and-music-what-has-the-monarch-contributed-to-the-classical-music-landscape-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/king-charles-and-music-what-has-the-monarch-contributed-to-the-classical-music-landscape-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/king-charles-and-music-what-has-the-monarch-contributed-to-the-classical-music-landscape-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/king-charles-and-music-what-has-the-monarch-contributed-to-the-classical-music-landscape.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/king-charles-and-music-what-has-the-monarch-contributed-to-the-classical-music-landscape.jpg",1200,800,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Published: Thursday, 14 November 2024 at 10:55 AM King Charles III, known for his longstanding passion for the arts, has made notable contributions to the world of classical music. Beyond his royal duties, he has supported composers, musicians, and music institutions, using his platform to preserve and promote this cherished art form. These are…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/49849"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}