King Charles III will mark his 78th birthday this Saturday by appearing as a special guest on Sir Elton John’s Apple Music radio show, Rocket Hour.
The hour-long episode, which premieres at 9 a.m. GMT on November 14 on Apple Music 1, was recorded in secret last month at Apple Music Studios in Battersea Power Station in south London. The recording marked the first session to take place at the new Apple Music Radio studios in Battersea.
The conversation highlights the role of music within The King’s Trust, the charity Charles founded in 1976 when he was the Prince of Wales, utilizing his severance pay from the Royal Navy to assist disadvantaged young people in overcoming challenging situations, gaining employment, or launching their own businesses.
Announcing the project, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson noted the creative approach behind the collaboration, stating that the team faced the task of avoiding the difficulty of a second album by finding a world-class musical collaborator. The spokesperson described the broadcast as a shared musical journey featuring tracks spanning various decades and genres, ranging from personal favorites and golden oldies to modern releases.
“It’s reaffirmed in my mind what a great and wonderful thing you set up in the Prince’s Trust years ago and continue to do on a daily basis,” Sir Elton said during the recording.
The singer admitted that he was previously unaware of the extent to which musicians had been supported by the charity. “I never knew that some of these musicians were involved in the Trust. It reinforces for me all the great work you’ve done all these 50 years, because I had no idea. So, bravo,” Sir Elton told the King.
During their discussion, the King described his participation in the radio show as “an opportunity too good to resist,” explaining that he was asked to showcase a selection of music from talented performers who have supported the organization over the years alongside newer artists helped by the Trust.
The episode features a curated playlist containing more than a dozen tracks, including music by Raye, Skye Newman’s Hairdresser, and Muse’s rendition of Feeling Good. Muse received a grant from the then-Prince’s Trust to purchase PA and live equipment when they were starting out as a band under the name Rocket Baby Dolls in Devon.
In 2018, the group staged a sell-out concert at the Royal Albert Hall to raise funds for the charity. Skye Newman has also performed in support of the Trust.
Reflecting on the importance of mentorship, Sir Elton shared his perspective on the industry: “I know from presenting my Rocket Hour show, that if you champion a young artist and show you believe in them, it makes all the difference. That’s the greatest thing you can do. Young people are our future and the King’s Trust are doing a wonderful job.”
The two men also exchanged lighthearted remarks regarding their age. After the King described the singer as “such a national treasure after all these years of everything you’ve done for 70 years,” Sir Elton laughed and joked, “I’ll be on the Antiques Roadshow next,” to which the King replied, “Anyway, join the club.”
The recording session took place in October ahead of the launch of the Apple x King’s Trust Creative Labs, a specialized series of workshops designed to provide young people with technology, resources, and in-demand industry skills to help them explore careers in creative fields. The complete program is broadcast for free on Apple Music Radio and will subsequently be available to listen to or download from the platform.