Glastonbury Founder Sir Michael Eavis Shares Royal Anecdotes as He Receives Knighthood
Sir Michael Eavis, the legendary founder of the Glastonbury Festival, shared a humorous anecdote about Prince Harry as he was honored with a knighthood at Windsor Castle. The 88-year-old dairy farmer, who hosted the first Glastonbury on Worthy Farm in Somerset in 1970, was recognized for his contributions to music and charity.
During the knighthood ceremony, presided over by the Princess Royal, Sir Michael reminisced about the times when royalty graced the iconic music festival. “The King came once, Prince Charles. And Harry – I think he jumped the fence I should think,” he joked. When pressed on how he came to know of this event, Sir Michael laughed and added, “I’ve got spies everywhere. No, I’ve got security all over the place actually.”, shared by GB News.
The festival founder fondly recalled the attendance of the Duke of Sussex, noting, “He enjoyed it! (The then) Prince Charles enjoyed it as well actually.” He pointed out that Prince Harry’s visit to the festival was before his move to America, suggesting a freer time in the Duke’s life. “He only came once. That was the old Prince Harry, before he went to America,” Sir Michael noted, reported Daily Mail.
In 2013, Prince Harry was seen backstage at Glastonbury, enjoying The Rolling Stones’ headline performance on the Pyramid Stage and staying up until the early hours. Sir Michael shared his advice to the young royal at the time: “I recommended that he should go on into the night, because the nightlife is what Glastonbury is all about. At three o’clock in the afternoon, you don’t get it. I told him to get his taxi driver to come back at five o’clock in the morning and do you know what? He lasted until four in the morning. His friends were all having a great time. He didn’t want to make a formal thing of being here.” via Yahoo.
Apart from entertaining anecdotes, Sir Michael also highlighted the festival’s philanthropic efforts, noting that Glastonbury annually donates to organizations such as Greenpeace, Oxfam, and WaterAid, with the aim to raise around £2 million per year. In 2023, the festival exceeded expectations by donating over £3.7 million to various charitable causes, including homelessness, food redistribution, refugee support, and mental health.
Reflecting on the festival’s journey and his recent knighthood, Sir Michael expressed satisfaction with the impact and legacy of Glastonbury, saying, “I’m so pleased that it became a success after all the grafting it took to get there. Trouble with the authorities and police and accountants and licensing and everything – in the end I had the last word!”
Looking ahead, Sir Michael hopes that the management of Glastonbury will continue “in the family,” maintaining its status as what he believes to be the “best job in the world.