King Charles has joined forces with actor Idris Elba and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in a renewed push to tackle knife crime, hosting a round-table at St James's Palace. The event marked one year since the King first convened a summit on the issue, and included victims, youth workers and campaigners.
Among those sharing their stories was 23-year-old Kyle Shaw Tullin, a Royal Marine and Team GB boxer, who was stabbed at 17 and nearly died. He told the discussion that returning to the boxing ring after the attack helped him stay out of trouble. 'I was absolutely riveted by what Kyle said,' the King remarked. 'It makes me very proud.'
The Prime Minister, accompanied by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, praised the resilience of victims' families. 'As a parent of teenagers, I can't imagine what many of these families have faced,' Sir Keir said. 'Your strength is inspiring.' He also lauded Elba's 'Don't Stop Your Future' campaign, which the actor launched last year.
Elba, 52, joined the King to film scenes for a Netflix documentary marking the 50th anniversary of The King's Trust, due to air in 2026. The actor stressed the need for continued action: 'We've made progress, but we can't take our foot off the pedal. There's more to do — especially ahead of the national knife crime summit in September.'
The King called for joined-up action across government, charities and local organisations, saying: 'The key is delivery. How do we turn all this goodwill into real change?' He also praised young people using sport to stay out of trouble, quipping: 'Being too tired from boxing to get into mischief — that's a very good point.' The Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, formed after last year's palace meeting, continues to bring together police, government and community groups.
