I told Princess Anne to take up the organ as I got MBE, says TikTok star Anna Lapwood

Anna Lapwood was made an MBE by the Princess Royal on Wednesday

Credit: Rii Schroer for The Telegraph

An organist,conductor and Tiktok star has said she told the Princess Royal to take up the organ and play at Windsor Castle.

Anna Lapwood,who was made an MBE for services to music in the New Year Honours,has been dubbed “the TikTok organist” after videos of her playing attracted 25 million likes.

At an investiture at Windsor on Wednesday,she said she encouraged Anne to play the castle’s organ.

Ms Lapwood said: “I said,‘Have you ever had a go on the organ?’ and she said: ‘No,I haven’t,I think it’s a bit late.’

“And I was like: ‘Oh,I think you can I think you could do it,you should do it.’”

Ms Lapwood met the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle

Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA

Ms Lapwood also said the two had talked about the importance of making women feel comfortable in music.

She said: “[We spoke] about how important it is to give them a space and say,‘You are so welcome here’,particularly with the previously male-dominated worlds,like the organ world.”

Ms Lapwood also said that being made an MBE was a moment of “public recognition” for the organ.

@annalapwoodorgan Proving once more that the @Royal Albert Hall is actually magic. @ludovicoeinaudimusic #organ #organist #pipeorgan #organtok #einaudi #royalalberthall #interstellar #interstellartok #classicalmusic #musician ♬ original sound - Anna Lapwood | Organist

“I feel like the organ is one of those instruments that can get pushed to one side,but then,actually,no this has been publicly recognised.”

Ms Lapwood,who is director of music at Pembroke College,Cambridge,and established a girls’ choir at the college,said she was travelling straight back from the investiture to do a choir rehearsal.

She said: “I’m going straight back to a girls’ choir rehearsal,literally in this dress,going straight like that.

Ms Lapwood has made a name by posting organ videos online

Credit: X

“And I have moments where I’m like,oh,I’m so tired,do I want to do a rehearsal? And then the joy you get from watching young people make music,that never leaves you.”

The widow of British author Sir Martin Amis was also at Windsor Castle to receive the insignia for her late husband’s knighthood from the Princess Royal.

Lady Amis,the US writer Isabel Fonseca,was given the insignia for the knighthood which was conferred on her husband before his death from cancer at the age of 73 in May last year.

The honour,for services to literature,was announced in the King’s Birthday Honours in June last year.

Lady Amis with her late husband's insignia

Credit: Andrew Matthews/Getty

England batsman Joe Root was also made an MBE for services to cricket at Windsor Castle on Wednesday by the Princess Royal.

Root said he wanted cricket to be a sport for everyone,and praised the development of the women’s game in England.

Joe Root with his MBE for services to cricket

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