Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, will visit the Liverpool Empire Theatre as a guest of honour later this year.

His Royal Highness is to attend a commemorative event celebrating 150 years of performing arts at the Lime Street site on 29 September.

The festivities, which will mark the construction of the original Alexandra Theatre, are set to take place during a Royal Gala performance of Willy Russell’s ‘Blood Brothers’.

Built in 1866, the Alexandra Theatre was the predecessor to the Empire, which replaced it on the site in 1925. The original building’s proscenium arch was retained and remains one of the current theatre’s most recognisable features.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Prince Edward will attend the celebrations along with the Earl and Countess of Derby, the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, Dame Lorna Muirhead and the High Sheriff James Davis. A number of celebrities and theatre figures are also expected to take part.

The chairman of the Empire Trust Board, Terry Smith, says: “We were particularly thrilled when we learned that, as soon as Prince Edward heard of the event he made a definite decision that he wanted to be present.

“In fact, on the day before and day of the show he will be taking part in several major events in South Wales which had to be rearranged and it will be quite an operation to get him to Liverpool in time for the performance.”

Net proceeds from the Gala performance will be syphoned into a fund managed by the Theatre Trust to support smaller dance, theatre, music and arts groups based in Merseyside.

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