Queen Mary

As Duchess of York, Queen Mary (1867–1953) attended the opening of the Royal College of Music's Blomfield Building in 1894. Among her subsequent visits were attendances at first performances of Vaughan Williams’ 'The Shepherds of the Delectable Mountains' (1922) and 'Hugh the Drover' (1924), in the Parry Theatre.

After a tour of the collection of historic instruments in 1929 she presented the College with a collection of miniature instruments known as The Queen’s Band. To mark the Silver Jubilee of the College, she was the recipient of the first Honorary Doctorate of Music awarded by the College.