Clapton, Churchill among those honored by Royal Albert Hall 'Walk of Fame'

[September 05, 2018]   LONDON (Reuters) - London's Royal Albert Hall, which has hosted some of the biggest names in entertainment, politics and sport, is getting a Hollywood-style Walk of Fame, and those being honored range from Queen Victoria to singers Adele and Eric Clapton.

Paying tribute to "key players" in the building's history since it opened in 1871, the Royal Albert Hall Stars honor 11 people and institutions with engraved stones, each decorated with a brass star and laid out around the famed site.

"This new walk of fame recognizes the unparalleled diversity of the Hall's history and many of the unforgettable characters and events who have helped to shape this British institution," Craig Hassall, chief executive of the Royal Albert Hall, said in a statement.

Among those being recognized is Britain's Queen Victoria, who in 1867 laid the foundation stone for the building of the hall, which is named after her husband Prince Albert.

Britain's wartime prime minister Winston Churchill and German-born physicist Albert Einstein, who both spoke at the Hall at different times, were also honored.

The institutions recognized include the Suffragettes, who held meetings at the Hall, the BBC Proms, an annual series of classical music concerts, and the Chelsea Arts Club Balls, which were held at the venue on New Year's Eve from 1910 to 1958.

Figures who have appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in more recent decades and are now being celebrated include late heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, and singers Eric Clapton, Shirley Bassey and Adele.

The Who's Roger Daltrey, who has worked on charity Teenage Cancer Trust concerts at the hall, completes the list.

Clapton and Daltrey were among guests attending the official unveiling of the stones on Tuesday.

(Reporting By Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Gareth Jones)

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