Katherine Jenkins has announced a trio of events in which she will perform to mark the Queen's 90th birthday in an exclusive interview and photoshoot with HELLO! magazine. The Welsh-born star will sing for Her Majesty at Windsor Castle in May, then sing a tribute to the Queen at the Royal Albert Hall and Birmingham's Symphony Hall in June before releasing an album in her honour.
Read the full interview in this week's HELLO! magazine, on sale now in all good newsagents and available to download on iPad, android, kindle fire and more formats. Or subscribe today to make sure you don't miss an issue!
Katherine Jenkins will release an album in honour of the Queen
Posing in her first photoshoot since giving birth to daughter Aaliyah four months ago, she tells HELLO!: "I suppose it is my birthday gift to Her Majesty. It doesn't matter how many times you are asked to sing for Her Majesty, you never ever get blasé about it.
"I knew I'd be taking maternity leave so it has been exciting knowing this was one of the first things I'd be coming back to."
Speaking for the first time about her little girl, who is Katherine and husband Andrew Levitas' first child, said: "She is a very sweet, girlie little girl. Very smiley, happy and contented. But she is strong-willed and independent, too. She doesn;t need to be fussed over.
"I can already tell that she has a keen interest in music. I sing to her a lot when she needs entertaining. I sing You Are My Sunshine and, at bathtime, we sing all the usual nursery rhymes."
And she says she adores motherhood – and that is has strengthened the bond between herself and Andrew. "Some people are quick to point out negative things: you'll never sleep again, you won't have a life. Yes, it has been tiring but it has been amazing. I'm so enjoying having this gorgeous little thing in my life," she reveals.
"She has enriched us as a couple. We both love being a family and don't ever want to be apart from one another. She has completed us. We are a team."