King Charles took to the DJ decks alongside actor Sir Idris Elba at a Buckingham Palace garden party, as the actor revealed the monarch had expressed his intention to spin some tunes earlier in the day. The event marked the 50th anniversary of the King's Trust youth charity, which was established in 1976.
Celebrity guests and alumni
The garden party attracted numerous celebrities who serve as ambassadors for the Trust, including television presenters Ant and Dec and Holly Willoughby, actresses Dame Helen Mirren and Damian Lewis, and Sir Idris Elba, who is himself an alumnus of the charity. After spending over an hour greeting attendees, including around 50 young people and alumni who have benefited from the Trust's programmes, Charles ascended the garden steps in heavy rain while holding an umbrella. He paused to speak with Christian St Louis, a 22-year-old from Middleton, Greater Manchester, who had taken a DJing course through the Trust and was performing at the event, and Sir Idris, who were standing by the DJ decks.
Charles's DJ debut
When asked about his conversation with the King, Sir Idris recounted: "Well, this morning we had an amazing time at the National Youth Music Theatre and I was telling him that it just took me back to when I first did that and I was laughing about that and he said he was going to DJ today, and he did." The actor added with a chuckle: "Well he pressed play and as a DJ I know that's the hardest part." Regarding whether Charles enjoyed the fast-paced electronic music being played, Sir Idris joked: "Well, he didn't stick around, let's put it that way."
Presentation of yearbook
Earlier, the King, dressed in a grey suit, blue tie, and a red King's Trust pin on his lapel, arrived at the party on the palace steps after the national anthem was performed by the band. He was presented with a yearbook chronicling stories from staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries of the Trust by Ant and Dec.
Impact on young lives
Darnell Allman-Smith, a 22-year-old from Brixton, south London, shared his personal experience with the Trust. He described going through a "bit of a depressive episode" when he secured the last place on the charity's Making it in Media course with Ant and Dec. "Growing up, my interest has always been in film, media and music and whatnot so it was almost like a gift by god that there was that one spot left and at first I said no because I felt like I wasn't ready for that and then they kindly held the position open to give me time to reconsider," he said. "The course was two weeks and within that two weeks, I got over my depression, my social anxiety, I started to make friends again, and life kind of slowly got back to normal. And if I'm being totally honest, those two weeks would have to be the biggest change, one of the biggest changes in my entire life, because from that point on, the Trust has not only continued to support me, but given me the strength, ambition and inspiration to do better for myself and to pass on that courage to others as well, and I only hope to continue doing that as my way of giving gratitude to the King for what he's done for me." Mr Allman-Smith revealed he has since worked on a Netflix show and thanked the King personally during their brief chat at the garden party. He added: "My mum also wanted me to pass on her personal thank yous because I care for my mum personally, and she kind of noticed a change in me when I started working with the Trust, and her health has significantly increased. So not only has he helped me, he's also helped my mum which I'm extremely grateful for."
Charity's achievements
The King's Trust reports that it has supported more than 1.3 million young people across the UK over the past five decades, as part of its mission to end youth unemployment and help young people build better futures.
Garden party details
Despite the gloomy weather, Thursday's guests, many wearing thick coats and holding umbrellas, smiled and chatted excitedly as they mingled and tried to capture photos of the King. Other notable attendees included former England men's football coach Sir Gareth Southgate and musician and presenter Myleene Klass. Over 4,000 guests enjoyed refreshments such as mini scones with blackcurrant jam and clotted cream, chocolate tiffin, and elderflower, trout and lemon cream cheese mini bagels. During a typical summer gathering, around 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches, and 20,000 slices of cake are consumed.
