Royal approval for Wigan singer Georgia

Georgia Linde, from Springfield, is rapidly emerging as a musical star after being encouraged to develop her gifts for singing and playing the ukulele by Wigan Youth Zone.

In her biggest gig so far the 13-year-old pupil from The Deanery CE High School travelled to London to perform for the Duke of Sussex, who is sixth in line to the British throne.

Georgia was one of a number of young people from youth zones across the country invited to showcase thier skills at the gala dinner for OnSide Youth Zones at Kensington Palace.

She was introduced to the stage at the high-profile event by comedian and Britain’s Got Talent judge David Walliams, who told her she would have done well had she been appearing on the hit TV show.

It was actually the second time she had met Prince Harry as she also travelled with the youth zone’s head of arts to talk about the difference OnSide youth zones make to young people shortly before his wedding to Meghan Markle.

Georgia also regularly appears on stage at Wigan Youth Zone events bringing her own musical spin to a wide variety of songs.

Her success and her maturity in handling her artistic rise has astonished her proud family, who also heaped praise on the Parson’s Walk youth facility for its nurturing of her talent and the chances it has given her in music.

Georgia’s mum Kath said: “She got to talk to Prince Harry when she was invited to an event with another member of Wigan Youth Zone before the royal wedding.

“A few weeks later she went down again and got the opportunity to sing for him. She did brilliantly.

“David Walliams was there and he told her that if she had been on Britain’s Got Talent he would definitely have pressed the buzzer to send her through, which was nice.

“The opportunities Wigan Youth Zone have given her are just unbelievable.

“She’s done amazingly well. The amount of times I’ve cried watching her on stage is unbelievable.

“She’s always nervous before she gets on stage but when she gets the microphone in her hand she’s not nervous at all.”

Georgia sang Rise Up for the event in the presence of Prince Harry, who is a massive supporter of OnSide Youth Zones and also made a speech about their life-changing work.

Her first event with Wigan Youth Zone was the Pie Factor talent competition which she entered when she was just nine.

She also joined other young people at the microphone at the glitzy annual ball in 2015.