King Charles has disclosed that he possesses a pair of tap shoes, during an engagement with Sir Idris Elba in central London. The revelation came as the King and the actor met young performers from the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) to celebrate the charity's 50th anniversary.
A 21-year-old NYMT member named Bill told reporters that the King asked him, 'Do you learn to tap dance?' before adding, 'He said he owns his own tap shoes and we offered to teach him.' When asked if a lesson had been booked, Bill admitted, 'We failed, but we will follow up.'
The King also advised musical theatre students that the best way to understand Shakespeare is to 'actually act it'. The event, held at The Other Palace studio in Victoria, included drama and musical theatre workshops, as well as a choir performance by NYMT's young performers.
Sir Idris Elba, who received a grant from The Prince's Trust (now The King's Trust) at age 18 to attend NYMT, credited his school drama teacher for getting him involved with the charity. The organisation's alumni also include Jude Law, Stephen Graham, and Toby Jones.
During the visit, Charles cut a cake shaped like the number '50', joined a group photo, and met staff and supporters. Before departing, he shook hands with members of the public gathered outside the studio.
