King Charles is 77 years old, has a non-stop institutional schedule, and, it seems, is eager to learn how to mix music on a turntable.
On Monday, March 16, he was in Manchester visiting Aviva Studios as part of his support for the King’s Trust, the organization he founded 50 years ago to help disadvantaged young people find work and develop skills.
There, among lighting equipment, musical instruments, and students from the creative industries, it was his turn to take the turntables. And yes, he gave it a try.
What happened when King Charles tried his hand at DJing at Aviva Studios
Christian St. Louis, a 22-year-old supported by the King’s Trust, was the one who gave him the lesson. He explained to the King how to turn up the fader, cut one track, and bring in the next.
With total concentration, Charles said he was “trying to get the hang of it.”
Someone in the audience told him it wasn’t as easy as it looked, to which he laughed and replied, “No, I was trying to.”
St. Louis said the King gave him “granddad vibes,” that energy you get from someone you see as wise, like a grandfather. He also said that “it was wicked” and that Charles seemed genuinely present, not like someone just fulfilling a schedule commitment.
The King’s Trust has a program called Creative Futures, developed in partnership with the Elba Hope Foundation, founded by Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina, which focuses on the arts, film, theater, and television. Since it began, over 100 young people have benefited from the program.
Elba himself received a scholarship from what was then the Prince’s Trust when he was 18, which enabled him to attend the National Youth Music Theatre, and he has been an ambassador for the organization for years.
What else King Charles did during his visit to Manchester that day
In addition to the DJ booths, King Charles unveiled a plaque outside Aviva Studios, listened to a choir from the Royal Northern College of Music, talked to students about technical equipment and stage design, and stopped to greet several young children who had waited over an hour to see him.
He also visited the Renew Hub Greater Manchester, a space that repurposes construction materials and household goods, and a Greencore plant in Warrington, a company that has prepared over a million meals for families in need as part of the King’s Coronation Food Project.
It was a pretty full day, and he ended it with a photo of DJ decks that will stay on the internet for a long time to come.