King Charles embraced a modern musical role during a visit to Manchester, where he tried his hand at DJing to highlight youth creative initiatives. The monarch visited the Aviva Studios to engage with students benefiting from a collaboration between The King's Trust and Factory Academy, which runs the Creative Futures, Get into Event Production programme.
Royal Hands on the Decks
During the event, Charles joined Christian St Louis, a 22-year-old from East London now living in Middleton, who demonstrated DJing techniques at the Sound Station. Focusing intently, the King attempted "fading"—gently lowering one track's volume while introducing another. Afterward, he smiled and acknowledged the complexity, laughing when an onlooker remarked, "It's not as easy as it looks, is it?" Charles replied, "No! I was trying," as he gestured over the equipment.
Christian, who wore sunglasses and headphones, shared that the course had been "inspirational" and he is working toward being signed this year. When Charles asked if the Trust had been helpful, Christian responded, "It's been more than helpful," explaining it opened doors for him. The King then nodded along to 'Ain't Gonna Change' by House of SAY before trying the decks himself, playing 'Don't want it' by Hallman.
Supporting Young Creatives
The visit showcased an offshoot of The Elba Hope Foundation, a charity founded by actor Idris Elba and his wife, Sabrina, offering free courses to inspire young people in Manchester and across the UK through the arts. Over 100 young people have already benefited locally, building skills and confidence for careers in creative industries like event production, technical equipment setup, lighting, and music.
Earlier, Charles met trainees setting up technical equipment and listened to a poem by Mariana Jallow, another student helped by Creative Futures, who spoke about overcoming adversity. He praised it as "wonderful" and enjoyed a classical guitar performance by Rory Green. The King also unveiled a plaque to mark his visit and listened to a choir from the Royal Northern College of Music outside.
Community Engagement and Legacy
Before leaving, Charles undertook a short walkabout, meeting the public including a group of toddlers with childminders Jodie Pownell and Nick Standing. He greeted children Stevie, one; twins Teddy and Kuba, one; and Jackson, two, asking their ages and commending the childminders on their "fantastic job." Jodie later described him as "so warm and friendly."
The King's Trust, formerly The Prince's Trust, is one of the UK's largest youth opportunity charities, personally set up by Charles 50 years ago using his naval pension. Since its founding in 1976, it has helped over a million young people, particularly from disadvantaged communities, develop life skills and access job opportunities. In the last five years, three in four supported individuals have moved into work, education, or training.
