Last weekend, Karen visited the Buxton Festival in her first formal engagement as Secretary of State. Karen said:
"I was really pleased that my first formal engagement in the post was to go to our local opera house in Buxton. I have visited the Opera House several times over the years and it is always a great experience, but to go as Secretary of State and to be able to explain to the other dignitaries about our wonderful area made the day particularly memorable.
I was especially moved by the powerful performance of Leonore by Beethoven. The singing was second-to-none, and it was such an honour to be invited onto the stage to meet the performers. The rousing grandeur of the festival never ceases to amaze me, and I was so pleased to read in the (raving) reviews that it is now getting the international recognition it deserves."