A vice-president at Coca-Cola once remarked that if King Charles were in industry, he would be Steve Jobs or Richard Branson.
That vice-president knew what he was talking about, as he had firsthand knowledge of The King’s work and capabilities. His name is James Sommerville, and he owed his start in business to The Prince’s Trust, the blockbuster charity started by then Prince Charles in 1976.
For millions of people, it’s been a distinct blessing that The King was actually not in industry, and instead devoted his time and energy to the business of charity, with one simple goal: to help as many people as possible.
His charities are too many to list, it’s been reported that even his staff struggle to name them all, between the groups he’s personally founded, and the hundreds more to which he lends his support.
But there is one in particular, that needs no introduction, that has become a national and international powerhouse: The Prince’s Trust.
The story of how it began has become the stuff of legend.
In the 1970’s, rising inflation and record unemployment were causing unrest, as young people in particular faced massive problems.
The King had just left the Royal Navy, with a severance pay of £7,400.
He could have done anything with that money, used it himself, gifted it to a friend or family member, or just made a donation to a charity of his choice.
Instead, King Charles made ONE decision that has changed countless lives.
And that single decision, tells you much about his character and what motivates him in his official role.
First, then Prince Charles set out with a questionnaire, to determine the areas where young people were struggling, and what specifically could help them. (His daughter-in-law, The Princess of Wales, would follow that example decades later in her Early Years work… but that’s another story!)
He took those answers, and his severance pay, and personally funded 21 pilot projects around the country. From giving a grant to a 19-year old woman running a social centre in East London, to two ex-offenders running a fishing club, to money for a self-help bicycle repair scheme.
Those young people probably had no idea what their projects were really starting, something that would stretch far beyond their lives. It would be interesting to find them and interview them now…
…Because they were the founding projects of The Prince’s Trust.
As unemployment kept rising into the 1980’s, and riots around the country erupted, King Charles worked harder to spread the work of the Trust and help even more people. He said he wanted to let young people know someone was standing by ready to help, to give them an option that didn’t involve unemployment or riots and crime.
He realised not every young person was suited for a typical job. So, in 1983, King Charles launched “The Enterprise” programme, a new division of the Trust that would help young people who couldn’t find a job, start their own business.
In the face of record unemployment, it was an immediate and smashing success. Within three years, by 1986, ONE THOUSAND young people started their own business, because of support from The Prince and his charity.
DJ and record producer Shahid Khan, known by the stage name "Naughty Boy", was able to buy his studio equipment and launch his career because of a grant from the Trust. He said in an interview, “I didn’t expect them to help me” ~
"Growing up in a council estate you're not used to people just saying, 'you know what, I actually believe in you, and I've got a feeling you will make this happen’, so that was new to me.”
There was also a young man named Idris Elba (ever heard of him!) who wanted to become an actor, he used a £1,500 grant from the Trust to study theatre. Elba has said that one grant - “gave me my career.”
The actor David Oyelowo remembers being a 17-year-old, wanting to be part of the National Youth Music Theatre, but said his family “couldn’t afford it.” Guess who stepped in to help? The Prince’s Trust. Oyelowo was not only able to attend, he also met his future wife there, so often jokes, “I have the Prince’s Trust to thank for a lot!”
Numerous popular bands credit a grant from the Trust for their start, allowing them to buy their equipment. One musician saying, “it was a sign of respect for what we did.”
Another young man named Jimmy Choo, used a weekly grant from the Prince’s Trust to start a shoe company - perhaps you’ve heard of it? He was so grateful for that start, that Choo became an active mentor himself, to do for others what The King had done for him, “I know the impact mentoring can have and it’s important for me to give something back.”
Did you know that Charlotte Elizabeth, the luxury handbag business, also exists because of the Prince’s Trust? Charlotte Jones had to leave school early due to illness, so had many challenges - and now a stalled education.
But she still had dreams of designing handbags. She said, “With the support of The Prince’s Trust I was able to pursue my dream.”
Now an international brand, her bags are sold in more than sixty countries - you can see her designs here!
“The Prince’s Trust is a charity, so you don’t need to worry about paying back the money you receive from them. This makes it a great option for young people and businesses that are just starting out and don’t have the money to pay back a loan.”
The 1980’s also ushered in The Prince’s Trust Concerts - which quickly became the hottest ticket in town. Older watchers (I’m one as well!) will immediately recognise that these performers were a veritable Who’s Who of the greatest acts of the time.
In a Reuters profile on The Prince’s Trust published when Prince Charles became King, those who had benefitted from the trust, or witnessed its incredible impact on communities, explained what made it so different.
It almost always came down to their founder, King Charles, and his persistence.
A quote from Labour politician David Lammy, speaks to The King’s genuine desire to help, even when the cameras have gone:
“Lammy recalled that after riots broke out in his constituency of Tottenham, north London, in 2011, political leaders came once and did not return.
Charles, on the other hand, returned five times and brought officials from his charities with him.”
The Trust’s Chief Executive Martina Millburn has said, "He has this amazing ability to connect. What he does more than anything is listen.”
In 2015, The Prince’s Trust spread worldwide, as The Prince’s Trust International was born. The charity’s programmes are now in over 20 countries within the Commonwealth and beyond - across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Europe.
But despite an endless record of work, the press all too often put the spotlight on The King’s personal life.
It took his accession in 2022 for many people to see his work for the first time.
In those first weeks of his reign, the BBC profiled some of the people helped by the Trust, and the stories they presented were nothing short of remarkable:
Ben Gutteridge was in care at 15 years old, served time in prison for assault at 17, then met a Prince's Trust mentor at a homeless shelter and was convinced the charity could help him.
"If it wasn't for the course or mentor, I would either be in prison or dead now because I would have never changed my life," he says.
He says if could say something to the new King it would simply be…
"Thank you"
Getting the opportunity to say “Thank You” to the King in person, is a wish almost all the beneficiaries of the trust share.
And many got their chance on the anniversary of The Prince’s Trust, in an emotional video, saying a simple, “thank you” to then Prince Charles, for a charity that changed all their lives… make sure to watch to end!
And even the coldest heart would soften, at the gift given to The King for the 40th Anniversary of The Prince’s Trust.
He was presented with a striking portrait of himself, created (fittingly) by a Welsh artist. Look closely - it was made up of images of just some of the people helped by the Trust, by The King’s single decision to use that severance pay for a greater good, more than four decades earlier.
It’s striking to think how many total lives have been changed, when you consider the ripple effect of each grant - throughout a family, a community, even a country.
Zoom in!
As Prince Charles, The King used to regularly attend meetings of trustees, which is of course, no longer possible.
But people who have experienced the impact of his charities firsthand, believe you can never count him out, saying he does more with a little time, than others do in a lifetime.
As one jewellery designer and beneficiary said:
"King Charles has opened so many doors for my generation and he didn't have to. The fact he gave that opportunity, and has changed the lives of so many already, it is going to be really exciting to see what he does as King."
One small decision, more than one million people helped.
The King trusted his instincts, and a legacy of service was born.
Thank you.
If you, or someone you know, might benefit from The Prince’s Trust, please visit:
The Prince's Trust | Start Something (princes-trust.org.uk)
And to join The King’s cause and donate or help in any way, please visit:
Support our work | The Prince's Trust (princes-trust.org.uk)