The King hit the decks as he turned DJ on a trip to Manchester today.
Charles joined Christian St Louis at an event to highlight the work of the King’s Trust and gamely tried his hand at ‘fading’ – gently decreasing the volume of one tune and bringing in another.
Focusing hard on the task at hand, he smiled afterwards and indicated how complicated it was, laughing as an onlooker said: ‘It’s not as easy as it looks, is it?’
‘Noooo,’ he said, laughing, and waving his hands over the equipment.
The monarch was in Manchester and Warrington for a day of engagements in the region, the first stop being the Aviva Studios to speak to students who have benefited from a collaboration between The King’s Trust and Factory Academy, who deliver the Trust’s Creative Futures, Get into Event Production programme.
It is an offshoot of a link-up with The Elba Hope Foundation, a charity founded by actor Idris Elba and his wife, Sabrina, to launch a range of free courses designed to inspire young people through art and build skills to work in the creative industries.
More than 100 young people have already benefited from the scheme locally.
Christian, 22, originally from East London but now living in Middleton, was at the ‘sound station’, one of three areas set up to demonstrate different aspects of the courses.
King Charles may have played the piano, trumpet and cello during his university years – but His Majesty struggled to master the ‘fade’ during a DJing lesson this morning
Sporting sunglasses and headphones on his head, he said the course had been ‘inspirational’, adding: ‘I’m working towards being signed this year.’
Introduced to the king, Charles asked him: ‘Are you doing it as part of a course?’
‘I did a DJ course in November, December,’ Christian explained.
‘Through the Trust?’ the King asked. ‘And that was something really beneficial?’
‘I’ve always wanted to DJ, and now I know I can do it,’ Christian said.‘I’m unemployed at the moment, but once I start working and save up money, I can buy some decks and get some DJ equipment and start messing around. I try my best.’
‘Is the Trust being helpful?’ asked Charles.
‘It’s been more than helpful,’ Christian said. ‘It’s pushed me through the doors, given me…’
‘Put you in touch with the right people,’ interjected the king.
‘Exactly,’ he replied.
‘So what have we got then?’ Charles asked, indicating for Christian to give him a demonstration.
Christian, 22, originally from East London but now living in Middleton, was at the ‘sound station’, one of three areas set up to demonstrate different aspects of the Creative Futures courses supported by the King’s Trust
During today’s visit, the King also met young people and trainees setting up technical equipment, lighting, and instruments
One of the day’s highlights was a poetry reading by Mariama Jallow, another student helped by Creative Futures, who later gifted the monarch a homemade cake
Christian drew a beaming smile from the King when he replied: ‘We have music.’
The DJ explained how to ‘load up your tracks’ as the King nodded his head along to the sounds of Ain’t Gonna Change by House of SAY.
Christian then asked him if he would like a go as Charles gently pulled one lever down and turned another up to play Don’t want it by Hallman.
Christian later reflected on their session, adding: ‘It’s not every day you get to DJ with a King.’
As Charles arrived at Aviva Studios, he was greeted by cheers as opposed to heckling after a tense run-in with members of an anti-monarchist group during Commonwealth Day celebrations last week.
Arriving at Westminster Abbey on March 9, King Charles noticed members of the Republic pressure group with signs that read ‘Not My King’ and ‘What Did You Know’.
The anti-royalists questioned the King and other senior royals about the scandal surrounding disgraced former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The monarch received a much warmer welcome in Manchester today as photos showed him meeting fans outside Aviva Studios before heading in for his musical lesson.
During today’s visit, the King also met young people and trainees setting up technical equipment, lighting, and instruments.
One of the day’s highlights was a poetry reading by Mariama Jallow, another student helped by Creative Futures, as she talked about her personal journey and overcoming adversity.
‘That was wonderful,’ the King said.
He also listened to a classical guitar performance by Rory Green
The King undertook a short walkabout before he left, meeting members of the public, including a group of toddlers who were there with their childminders, Jodie Pownell and Nick Standing
Four little ones stood at the front by a barrier, and the King made a beeline for them, saying hello and asking how old they were, while the youngsters – (right to left) Stevie, one, twins Teddy and Kuba, one, and Jackson, two – looked up in awe
‘Thank you so much,’ she replied. ‘I did the creative music programme and health and social care.’
‘And what are you up to now?’ Charles asked.
He was touched to see a scrapbook she had made about her experiences, before handing him a cake that had been made especially for him.
‘For me? Thank you so much. Are you sure you don’t want a bit?’ the King said.
‘No, it’s ok. It’s for you!’ she giggled.
‘Bless you,’ he said.
He also listened to a classical guitar performance by Rory Green and met students who had undergone lighting training.
Afterwards, he unveiled a plaque to mark his visit and listened outside to a stirring performance by a choir from the Royal Northern College of Music.
The King undertook a short walkabout before he left, meeting members of the public, including a group of toddlers who were there with their childminders, Jodie Pownell and Nick Standing.
Four little ones stood at the front by a barrier, and the King made a beeline for them, saying hello and asking how old they were, while the youngsters – Stevie, one, twins Teddy and Kuba, one, and Jackson, two – looked up in awe.
Charles unveiled a plaque to mark his visit and listened outside to a stirring performance by a choir from the Royal Northern College of Music
Jodie said afterwards: ‘He was so warm and friendly and asked about the little ones. He told us we were doing a fantastic job. What a morning!’
The King’s Trust, formerly known as The Prince’s Trust, is one of the largest youth opportunity charities in the country, helping young people from a wide variety of backgrounds, particularly from disadvantaged communities.
It was personally set up 50 years ago by Charles when he was Prince of Wales, using his naval pension.
The prince wanted to form a charity that gives young people the chance to build the confidence and skills to live, learn and earn.
Since the Trust was founded by The King in 1976, it has helped more than a million young people across the UK reach their potential by developing life skills, preparing for employment or accessing job opportunities.
Three in four of those it has supported over the last five years have moved into work, education or training.
It comes after Charles met with First Nation leaders from Saskatchewan for a historic private meeting at Buckingham Palace last Wednesday, March 11.
The seven Treaty 6 leaders travelled to London for the private audience after formally inviting the monarch to the 150th anniversary of the treaty’s signing in Fort Carlton, Canada.
Images of Charles meeting and shaking hands with the delegation of chiefs serve as a poignant moment for the members, who have long been campaigning for a royal meeting and are hopeful for the King’s attendance in August.
Ahead of the meeting, Chief Larry Ahenakew of Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation said that he first wrote to the King in November 2024 and in February 2025 before receiving a response in December.
He told CBC News: ‘It’s going to be exciting for all of us,’ Ahenakew said. ‘First time in Europe, myself.’
The monarch received a warm welcome in Manchester today as photos showed him meeting fans outside Aviva Studios before heading in for his musical lesson
The King appeared in good spirits as he greeted well-wishers outside Aviva Studios
The leaders, who had hoped to present the King with a personalised invitation to the anniversary event, also planned to gift the King beaded moccasins ‘rooted with love and prayers for the future generation’.
The visit, which Ahenakew described as ‘historic’, has been supported by by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and the Assembly of First Nations.
During the private audience, the King also welcomed an 105-year-old Second World War Mosquito Bomber to Buckingham Palace and presented him with a Distinguished Flying Cross.
Flight Lieutenant Colin Bell is the last surviving bomber pilot to have flown the de Havilland Mosquito aircraft during the conflict.
During their meeting at the Palace, the pair shook hands and chatted, while the heroic veteran also gave His Majesty a copy of his memoir, Bloody Dangerous.
His book recounts the extraordinary story of his heroic wartime service for the first time and what it was like to fly a Mosquito, known as the ‘wooden wonder’ for being mostly constructed of wood, during 50 raids over Germany including 13 to Berlin.
When asked in the book what would happen if the Rolls-Royce Merlin engines failed on take-off, the commander replied in stark terms: ‘You die like an officer and a gentleman.’
Mr Bell also revealed that, rather than carrying a teddy bear as a mascot on his death-defying bombing raids over Nazi Germany, he took along a Smith & Wesson revolver with 20 rounds of ammunition in case he was shot down.
Mr Bell, whose full title is Flt/Lt (Ret’d) Colin S Bell DFC AE FRICS IRRV(Hons) RAF (Ret’d) flew for 608 & 162 Squadrons, part of the Pathfinder Group – an elite, hand-picked bunch of the RAF’s most skilled pilots and navigators.
The Pathfinders were tasked with flying bombs deep into enemy territory and marking targets for larger, more vulnerable bomber formations to increase their accuracy.
Mr Bell, who now lives in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and his navigator were part of the Light Night Striking Force which carried out nuisance raids on cities all over Germany forcing workers down into air raid shelters.
He and his fellow pilots were aided by cutting-edge navigational technologies of the time, which in the post-war era paved the way for safe commercial air travel.
The King presented Mr Bell, who served with the RAF’s 608 Squadron in the Light Night Striking Force, with the citation to his Distinguished Flying Cross, which was originally awarded to him for his actions by Charles’s grandfather King George VI in 1945.
The Distinguished Flying Cross is given for ‘acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty while flying in active operations against the enemy’ to personnel of the Royal Air Force and other services.
Mr Bell’s final raid, over Berlin, took place in March 1945, just before his 24th birthday. Two days later the very Mosquito he had flown in was shot down and both crew members were killed.
In his incredible memoir, he also addressed recent criticism of Bomber Command’s devastating attacks on German cities like Dresden, which hit civilians as well as military targets.
He wrote: ‘There is certainly an argument to be had about this, but I do often wonder how that argument would go if we had lost the war.
‘People might be expressing reservations about living as slave labourers under a Nazi regime, with concentration camps set up in every city for its opponents.
‘So, when people say, “What about Dresden?” I reply that Dresden was indeed horrific. But so too was the blitzing of London, Coventry, Plymouth, Exeter, Liverpool and Southampton, to name but a few.’
