The Princess, The Prince, The Fairy Castle & Cygnet-Gin

This is a true story, stick with me as I tell you my tale about a princess, prince, fairy castle and Cygnet Gin.

Like Peter Llewellyn Davies, the boy who became Peter Pan in John Barrie’s classic, I flew from place to place, venue to venue, gallery to… pub, pub… to a young ‘ Baby-Swan ’.

There I was on my Friday cultural tour to inform the punters drinkers and raconteurs at London Welsh rugby club (a legendary venue who formed the core of the brilliantly successful Welsh rugby team of the ‘70’s and who also formed the core of the winning British Lions team which won the legendary series against the All Blacks in 1973) and a ‘Castell-Nedd’ group of ladies circled.

I listened and felt like a Prince upon hearing a soft-girl-voice, for among them, was a sweet, angel, soft-sounding lady. I felt I needed to draw myself toward this young student. I just knew I needed to be a conscientiously accountable Welsh guardian to this young Cymraes: this little swan needed protection.

When I saw ‘Miss tip-toe’ walk past me all on her own, I became anxious and uttered: “Where do you think you are going, little Princess? The baby-swan said: “To the taxi, off into London!”. Well, guess what, Cymros, Cymraes and international friends; I froze! Numbed and distraught I knew I had to my duty just like my Glamorgan star player of a grandfather cricketer, I sped to the ‘David Davies’ (that is the Hackney cab to you people) and with my ‘Calon’ (heart) pumping tried uttering a few concerned words by offering my chaperone services, with me half inside the taxi: I pleaded: “You are young Welsh girls out in the rough streets of London, the ‘Big Smoke!? You need an escort, you need protecting.Kindly allow me to just ensure you have a safe night!?.”

My plea to be a loyal bodyguard to this Princess and friends went unheeded, and I felt an awful void! What, I pondered, would her Neath Mother think? And what would the tutors of TheRoyal Academy of Music’ make of this, if this precious Welsh talent was not to be seen again. It was 94 and the ‘ Baby Swan‘ was never seen again!

Until…

It was Tuesday 18th in the month of June in the year two thousand and twenty five when I was sent on a mission to a Fairy-Tale Castle! I dressed in my Princely flamboyant attire, one entirely appropriate for what eventually transpired. Walking in, I saw a group of handsome gentlemen hugged in a circle and I sensed that… ahhh, was that the Prince of the Princess I was about to interview? I thought, yeah I shall be introducing myself soon enough to this American Prince with “the Midas touch!”

After meeting Morgan, and the Princess’s enchanting staff of Libby and Teresa, the ‘ Swan-Princess’ floated toward me and with an extended arm, shone her eyes & teeth, sparkled towards me & introduced herself!

I might have given her a great big Welsh Cwtch but I cannot remember as it became a blur: you know what I mean, people. I was in the Fairy Castle with the Princess, yeah? After all these years! 1994 to 2025.Come-on, Now!

Ok, where was I ? Ahh yes.

I spoke as best I could as we both agreed to get closer with our chairs in the Gin tasting bar. I think she was warming to me when I said about our meeting in London and wanting to stay with her to protect her in the ’Big Smoke’.

People, I had ten questions but the Princess just made it effortless for me and began the ‘Bendigedig-Beautiful’ Fairy Tale story of her latest of Achievements with her Prince, Andrew, who must have been guzzling Katherine’s Gin somewhere else in the Fairy-Castle! Haha.

Let Catherine tell you the Tale:

“All the women in my family drink Gin.”

Well Katherine did but, at the ‘Royal Academy of Music’, it could terminate her career by ruining her voice. Our Princess had to give it up as a Uni student!? That takes some doing so, da iawn to ‘ Our Girl ’

“When we were in the pandemic, we had a bit more time to think about creative endeavors.”

Her Prince, Andrew, asked that prophetic question about what would Katherine like to do to his Princess.

Yes, you have guessed it, Cymros, Cymraes and international friends: Katherine wanted to make her own Gin… but importantly so as not going to affect her powerful & angelic voice!

With her master distiller friends and the important encouragement of what she used in everyday life which they could bring into the botanicals to make it personal to Katherine.

Manuka honey — “Such an amazing thing!” — is one which Katherine also uses on her children. She says they laughed when she mentioned using it but Katrherine said, let us give it a try!

Cymros, Cymraes and international friends, ‘Cymru’s Princess’ has given birth to…

‘Cygnet 22’ Gin!

It is unique as a Gin as it is soft and smoothly textured with this special ingredient, Manuka Honey, plus her singing teacher has also had some! Yes Katherine was aged 22 when she was awarded her first and unique record deal, record breaking six albums and in 2022, our Katherine created this Special Gin!

There I was with the great ‘Singing-Soprano’, sipping a very Special Gin with Kath. And ‘Cygnet’ is the Welsh word for Baby-Swan’!

Hold on now!? Had I not referred to that lovely singing student I had met at London-Welsh Club as a ‘ Baby-Swan’… in 1994!

Katherine then told me that friends and family loved it so she thought, “Now let me design the whole product, graphics, bottle shape, the lot.”

Guess what People? Around 1994 I had heard of a new Welsh distillery and as a graphic design student offered my services free because I wanted to give an authentic Welsh identity, tickle and story behind it.

The professor told me that there were people working on it. My idea which I already had on my bottle of wine Uni project was one which ‘Penderyn Whiskey’ initiated in 2020! What a coincidence after all those years!. I guess, knowing Katherine was following her adventure and we had met around the same time as my proposal was warming!

Yes the whole design, look, in-fact everything is inspired by Cymru, says Katherine: “Proudly-Fiercely product!” in the hope of ”putting Wales on the map!”

“A Beautiful & Sustainable” bottle design: “single-Stem flower vase” which is winning all the creative awards! 50% lighter, Carbon-Footprint, all in a bottle”!

Katherine handed it to me: gulp!. I was shaking like a leaf, and…dropped the bottle!!

Only joking, people! Haha.

As an Ambassador of World-Welsh Achievements I proposed a special toast to Katherine:

To ‘Howells & Mansell’, the first time in Welsh History I have had the chance to share, drink & say it with another Ambassador as well as an ‘Icon of Cymru’! ‘Ardderchog-Brilliant’. ‘

H & M’ invented the first modern punt wine bottles in the 17th century.

Rather keen and merry by now, after my ‘Cygnet-22’ I was co-sipping with our ’Icon of Cymru’ on…

‘Cygnet 77’

One month old yet 55 weeks in Welsh whiskey casks plus the 22 makes… my Favourite Number!

Yeah it is a unique Whiskey-tasting Gin:

“22 is the Ice and 77 is the Fire!” reflected Katherine as a metaphor for Cymru and its cultural iconography in the wider World.

‘Great Cymraes ! : Great Cymros! … ‘Cygnet-Gin 22’ is quintessentially-delicious & definately on the Map of World Drinks!

Another important event ‘Our Princess’ delicately informed me was that the ‘World Chef Expo’ is also coming to Cymru in May 2026 and guess what people? Yes ‘Our Katherine’ has been honored with becoming an Ambassador for this unique moment in Welsh & British history!

After… yes, Katherine has also written a song for this special moment of culinary history which will be played at the end and is called ‘When you return to Wales’. What a ‘Bendigedig-Beautiful’ moment for Cymru, as it is the first time it has ever come to Britain: “The Oscars of the UK”.

‘Cygnet-Gin 77’ is a World-Gin : a Goldmine untouched and full of Welsh fire & imagination!

The time was 4.40pm. The month was June 18th. The year was 2025: ‘Welsh-Time’. The Fairy Castle? Yes it is Swansea’s’ Penderyn Whisky’ Depot. The Princess was and still is Katherine Jenkins, OBE. The Prince is the handsome Andrew Levitas. Me, I am ‘Peter LLewellyn Davies’? That is right I was Peter Pan.

‘Cygnet-Gin‘ is an ‘Icon of Cymru’, as such it is an Icon of World Design & World Taste.

The Penderyn Tour is Open & this Tale is True…