The royal visit on Thursday, June 26, will see the Earl view the work of the Ashington Group of 'Pitmen Painters' which are permanently on display in their own gallery.
In particular, His Royal Highness will visit a recently opened exhibition feat
uring the work of founder member of the group in 1934, Oliver Kilbourn.
The former miner, who first went down the pit at the age of 12 in 1917, was one of the most prolific painters in the group, and his story figures prominently in the play the Pitmen Painters by Billy Elliott author Lee Hall, which is currently playing to packed houses at the National Theatre in London.
His Royal Highness will then be invited to officially open the Workshop Galleries, recently converted at a cost of £1m from former colliery workshops at Woodhorn.
From Woodhorn the Earl will travel to Newbiggin where he will inspect the £11m project completed last year by Wansbeck District Council to transform the village bay and seafront.
A coastal defence breakwater was constructed and 500,000 tonnes of sand 'imported' from off the Lincolnshire coast, to recreate the once enormously popular beach.
His Royal Highness will also see the iconic figures of Couple, which stand on the breakwater as the only permanent offshore public artwork around the coast of Britain, as well as being briefed on plans to develop a maritime heritage centre on Newbiggin seafront.
