An audio message from Prince Charles will echo through York Minster during evensong on Sunday, to launch a year-long exhibition dedicated to a master sculptor and carver who died 300 years ago.

You may not have heard of Grinling Gibbons. But in his day, he was a towering figure – a celebrity who was once even described as the ‘Michelangelo of the North’.

You can see why if you look at the detail of Gibbons’ stone monuments to three York Archbishops - Richard Sterne, Thomas Lamplugh and John Dolben - at the Minster. They ripple and swell with life.

Gibbons, who was born to English parents in Rotterdam in 1648 and went on to become master sculptor and carver in wood to King William III, died on August 3, 1721.

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Detail from Gibbons’ monument to Archbishop Richard Sterne. Picture: Duncan Lomax

The Minster exhibition is part of Grinling Gibbons 300 -Carving a Place in History, a national programme of festivals and events led by the Grinling Gibbons Society.

The exhibition - and accompanying sculpture trail taking in the three Gibbons monuments in the Minster - will tell the story of sculptor’s life, from his birth in Rotterdam to his time in York, where he mastered English carving and sculpture traditions, and the move to London which in 1693 culminated in his appointment as master sculptor and carver to William III.

In his message, The Prince of Wales, who is patron of both the York Minster Fund and the Grinling Gibbons Society, will pay tribute to the ‘exceptional talent and craft’ of Gibbons - and to the generations of wood and stone carvers who have followed in his footsteps.

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Gibbons’ monument to Archbishop John Dolben. Picture: Duncan Lomax

His recorded message says: “As we celebrate the three hundredth anniversary of this incomparably talented craftsman, we must also celebrate and pay tribute to all the magnificent craftsmen and women who have followed in his wake, and continue to do so today, leaving us with such a magnificent legacy in York Minster and beyond.”

Neil Sanderson, Director of the York Minster Fund said: “Gibbons was a master craftsman, a celebrity in his own lifetime, a towering figure whose influence is reflected every day here at York Minster in the work of our team of expert carvers and masons who lovingly protect, repair and restore this magnificent cathedral.

“We are delighted that His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has agreed to champion the memory and the legacy of this remarkable man and highlight his achievements to contemporary audiences.”

An audio-visual version of the message from Prince Charles will go live on the Minster’s You Tube page and social media accounts on Sunday August 1 at 5.45pm.

Grinling Gibbons: Monuments to Glory will run at the Minster from Sunday until July 31 next year. Entry is free with general admission.

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Gibbons’ monument to Archbishop Thomas Lamplugh. Picture: Duncan Lomax