FANFARE trumpets made in a workshop near York look set to be used at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in May.

Five state fanfare trumpets were tested yesterday by members of the Household Cavalry at Richard Smith (M I) Ltd’s workshop in a converted cowshed on the outskirts of Sheriff Hutton.

The Lord-Lieutenant for North Yorkshire, Barry Dodd, was also on hand to inspect the finished instruments.

The firm’s Smith-Watkins trumpets have been played before during high-profile events including the Queen’s Jubilee Concert, the London 2012 Olympics and the 2011 Royal Wedding of William and Kate, and the new ones will be used for a number of royal and state occasions this year - although it has not yet been officially confirmed this includes the Royal Wedding.

Managing director Richard Smith said: “It’s the sound that people associate with all great state occasions, and it all starts right here in our North Yorkshire workshop.

“We carefully craft our trumpets by hand to ensure a sound fit for a king or queen. Our brass instruments are renowned among musicians due to their high-quality, traditional features and attention to detail.

“Some of our proudest moments have involved seeing and hearing our fanfares being played on national television, including at William and Kate’s wedding and the London 2012 opening ceremony.

“We’re very excited about what the future might hold for this particular order which will be unique in bearing the Royal Coat of Arms.”

A spokeswoman for the firm said Smith Watkins instruments were highly regarded worldwide and handmade to order.

“The firm has been making custom brass instruments since 1985 and Richard Smith has fine-tuned his design based on his PhD study of brass instrument acoustics,” she said.

“In 2000, the Royal Marines and Royal Air Force commissioned Richard Smith to create a new range of high-quality, handcrafted fanfare trumpets. All fanfares played for the Royal Family have used Smith-Watkins instruments ever since. They are used across the globe including in the Americas.”