King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived at a star-studded celebration marking the 50th anniversary of The King's Trust. The event is taking place at the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington Gore, South Kensington, this evening, commemorating half a century of the charity originally named The Prince's Trust, which was founded by Charles in 1976.
The royal couple arrived at approximately 6:20 PM before heading inside for the special celebration, which also features stars including Lily Collins, George Clooney, and Rita Ora. The event brings together King's Trust ambassadors, alumni, staff, and volunteers to honour the charity's work supporting young people aged 11 to 30 with education, training, and employment opportunities. The evening will also celebrate the achievements of those the charity has supported over the past five decades.
Upon arrival at the Royal Albert Hall, Charles and Camilla were introduced to King's Trust Ambassadors and the evening's hosts, Ant and Dec. During the celebration, the couple will meet this year's King's Trust award winners, accompanied by their award presenters, as well as Trust ambassadors and performers. Before departing, Charles and Camilla will be invited on stage for a group photo with the award recipients and a 'three cheers' moment with the audience.
Other stars in attendance include Kate Garraway, Charlotte Tilbury, and Gareth Southgate. The King established the charity while still Prince of Wales, using his naval pension at a time when many critics believed he should not be 'getting his hands dirty' in such a manner. Since then, it has assisted over 1.3 million young people across the UK in reaching their potential, with three in four of those supported over the last five years moving into work, education, or training.
Tonight's event combines music, comedy, and awards to celebrate the courage, creativity, and achievements of young people supported by The King's Trust in the UK and globally. An all-star line-up including Jools Holland, Sir Rod Stewart, Craig David, Ronnie Wood, Anne-Marie, and Skye Newman are expected to perform.
Earlier today, the King tried his hand at operating a revolutionary surgical robot at a cancer hospital in London, zooming into his own face on a £5 note. He received a step-by-step presentation of the new fifth-generation Da Vinci Surgical System, which enables smaller and more precise incisions during bladder surgery. The robot, in the final stages of approval for NHS use, will help reduce patient operating and recovery time.
After meeting Professor Ben Challacombe, Consultant Urological Surgeon at Guy's Hospital in London, Charles was offered the chance to sit on a stool and look through a headset to control the robotic hands on an operating table behind him. A small model of the internal bladder was displayed with a £5 note placed inside. The professor noted the precision of the system, saying it can zoom in to see things the human eye cannot. The King struggled initially, commenting, 'I think I'll have to come back after some more training.'
The Da Vinci series has been used on 15,000 patients at the hospital over the past 20 years and on two million people worldwide. The King met patients being treated at the Cancer Centre, known as Chemotherapy Village, who could benefit from discoveries by scientists at the Innovation Hub. Raymond Burgess, 69, from South London, told the King how his chemotherapy had left him unable to taste certain foods.
Professor Sheila Singh, Professor of Neuro-oncology and Neurosurgery, stated: 'It was an immense privilege to welcome His Majesty to our Innovation Hub, where dedicated colleagues committed to tackling cancer discussed their invaluable work. Innovation really is the key word; King's is leading the way in rethinking how we treat cancers, putting patients at the centre of everything we do.'
The visit was commemorated with a plaque unveiled by the King in the Cancer Centre's entrance lobby. Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales today stated that the UK needs more suicide prevention centres to address the high rates of young men taking their own lives. William was opening a new centre run by James' Place, a charity providing free therapy for men in suicidal crisis. He met staff and men whose lives have been saved by the charity at its three other locations.
James' Place was founded in memory of James Wentworth-Stanley, a Newcastle University student who took his own life in 2006 at age 21. This year marks 20 years since his death. At the end of the visit, James' mother, Clare Milford Haven, thanked William for his ongoing support. William then spoke to staff and guests, saying: 'I can only hope that we can get your organisation more around the UK because it's in need of it sadly. We need to talk more about suicide, we need to talk more about preventing it.'
Since 2018, the charity's three existing centres have saved over 5,100 men's lives. The charity supports only men, who account for over 75% of suicides in the UK.
