What exactly is a 'royal harpist'?

To all the other unconventional jobs and titles connected to British royalty (Warden of the Swans, Queen’s Piper, Black Rod, Silver Stick), now you can add another: Royal Harpist.

Yep, it’s a real position in the household of Prince Charles the Prince of Wales, who revived the job 15 years ago and on Wednesday announced his latest Official Harpist, Anne Denholm.

The young (23) and acclaimed Welsh harpist and Cambridge grad, is the fifth person to get the royal nod. (She replaces Hannah Stone, who caused a scandal in placid music circles after she left her husband of two years for an opera singer more than 20 years older.)

Denholm plucked the strings for her new boss for the first time during a musical evening at his official Welsh residence, Llwynywermod in Llandovery, this week. (Charles and wife Duchess Camilla of Cornwall are on one of their regular visits to the part of the United Kingdom from which his title springs.)

No doubt some of you have already begun to nod off with boredom but others may wonder: Why does Charles need an official harpist?

For one thing, the harp is the national musical instrument of Wales.

Also, the music-loving prince differs from many of his royal relatives in his taste for high culture — art and classical music especially. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, prefers more traditional culture, like bagpipes. Every morning she’s in residence at Buckingham Palace, a tartan-clad piper plays in the garden for 15 minutes, a holdover in tradition from Queen Victoria.

If Charles had a Spotify list (which we doubt, since he’s not running for president), it would be chock-full of classical music. He was deeply involved in picking the classical greats played at his 1981 wedding to Lady Diana Spencer, and he was just as involved in picking the music played at the wedding of their son, Prince William, to Kate Middleton in 2011.

Charles revived the harpist position to foster and celebrate musical talent in Wales and to raise the profile of the harp as an instrument. Denholm said she wanted the same, in a statement released by Clarence House.

“The harp is a powerful and versatile instrument, and I am committed to exploring and expanding its use in musical and educational fields,” she said.

So the dulcet sounds of a harp, which Americans may associate with angels and background music for brunch, is perfect for a prince who is forever hosting lunches, dinners, receptions, parties and charitable events requiring music considerably quieter than a rock band.

Naturally, the news brought Charles some spoofing on social media.

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