Latest news with #TheKingsFoundation
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Kate Winslet shares sweet message with King Charles as the Oscar winner becomes latest celeb ambassador to join The King's Foundation
Kate Winslet shared a sweet message with the monarch as she became the latest celebrity ambassador to join The King's Foundation on Thursday. The Oscar-winning actress, 49, proudly admitted to be 'thrilled' to be taking on the role as she beamed while shaking hands with King Charles. Following her induction, Kate told the King: 'Don't worry, I'll be all in, I've got your back' as she joined the likes of Sir David Beckham, Sienna Miller, Sir Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster. Accepting the honour Kate looked stylish in a chic oversized cream suit and couldn't wipe the smile off her face while posing with her framed certificate. Following the announcement Kate gushed: 'One of my passions is exploring ways that we can protect and promote the natural world, something I have in common with His Majesty.' She continued: 'I am so thrilled to become an ambassador for The King's Foundation, particularly as the charity celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, The King's Foundation does such fantastic work to prioritise and protect nature and our wonderful planet,' 'In particular championing field to fork farming, as well as getting young people outdoors and learning about our beautiful countryside and how we can all play a part in protecting its future, all things that are deeply important to me and to so many of us. Before adding: 'And it's been fascinating learning about what the foundation does over these past few months, and I am really looking forward to collaborating with the other ambassadors so we can discuss ways in which we can collectively make a positive difference.' Earlier this month the Hollywood alum was snapped as she warmly shook the King 's hand during a reception for the foundation at St James's Palace in London. The annual ceremony - which is celebrating the 35th Anniversary of The King's Foundation this year - look place earlier this month was an opportunity to celebrate alumni, students, and ambassadors of the monarch's charity. Attended by 200 guests, the awards celebrates the exemplary work of students, teachers, alumni and partners who have contributed to the Foundation's work across a range of sectors including sustainability, traditional heritage skills and environmental education. Kate joined other guests including Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, chef Raymond Blanc and Alan Titchmarsh. Happily rubbing shoulders with the A-listers, footballer David, who became an ambassador for the King's Foundation in 2024, appeared to be in his element as he put on an animated display with American actress Meryl. Meanwhile, Charles, 76, proved to be the perfect host as he had the famous faces in fits of giggles as he chatted to those in attendance. The foundation revealed it has to date trained more than 115,000 students in traditional crafts and environmental education over its 35-year tenure, welcomed more than 2.5million visitors to its UK destinations, and positively affected more than 500,000 lives through sustainable urban planning. King's Foundation ambassador Penny Lancaster praised the monarch for his vision for creating the awards and highlighting the needs of the planet throughout his adult life. 'We all know that the King has been the forefront and sort of marching us all along for more than 50 years, he's been an absolute pioneer and visionary in that sense,' she said. 'These awards and indeed the foundation is so important because of the role they have in not only protecting these traditional crafts and the environment but also giving the winners such an incredible platform to go and achieve great things. 'The King may have been accused of hugging trees and people thinking he was mad when he started talking about the environment all that time ago, but he was at the forefront then and now has been proved right with everything he said and now we're all just trying to play catch up. 'I really recognise the beauty in the way he is trying to get us on board with his knowledge and if we can pass that on to the younger generation, and save some of the traditional skills like we've seen with these winners today, we can all be a part of making a difference. 'I think the mistake is when we say, well, there's such a huge job ahead of us that we could give up, but where's the hope about and confidence that we can pull together to not make it such a mammoth task, there is real hope for the future.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kate Winslet latest star to take on role for King's charity
Kate Winslet has become the latest celebrity to become an ambassador for the King's charity. The Oscar-winning actress said she was thrilled to take on the role at The King's Foundation, following in the footsteps of Sir David Beckham, Sienna Miller, Sir Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster. Winslet joined the King at the charity's awards ceremony in St James's Palace a fortnight ago, where she told him: 'Don't worry, I'll be all in – I've got your back.' The star said following the announcement: 'One of my passions is exploring ways that we can protect and promote the natural world – something I have in common with His Majesty.' In a video marking the news, Winslet added that the foundation's work protecting the planet and encouraging young people to learn about the 'beautiful' countryside was 'deeply important' to her. She said she was looking forward to collaborating with the other ambassadors on how to make a difference. 'I am so thrilled to become an ambassador for The King's Foundation, particularly as the charity celebrates its 35th anniversary this year,' Winslet said. 'The King's Foundation does such fantastic work to prioritise and protect nature and our wonderful planet, in particular championing field to fork farming, as well as getting young people outdoors and learning about our beautiful countryside and how we can all play a part in protecting its future, all things that are deeply important to me and to so many of us. 'And it's been fascinating learning about what the foundation does over these past few months, and I am really looking forward to collaborating with the other ambassadors so we can discuss ways in which we can collectively make a positive difference.' Other famous names who have signed up as ambassadors include TV stars Sarah Beeny, Patrick Grant, George Clarke and Alan Titchmarsh, musician and presenter Jools Holland and rugby player Maro Itoje. The King's Foundation, previously known as The Prince's Foundation following an amalgamation of Charles's charities in the year he turned 70, aims to 'advocate for the change His Majesty wants to see in the world'. It works to train the next generation of young craftspeople in heritage and endangered skills such as millinery, embroidery and woodworking, but also focuses on sustainability, farming and agriculture, health and wellbeing, and architecture and urbanism.
Telegraph
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
King teams up with Idris Elba for Netflix debut
The King is to make his Netflix debut with a documentary about 'the power of believing in young people'. His Majesty has teamed up with actor Idris Elba for the programme, which will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the King's Trust. The monarch will 'offer rare access and insights' into his support for the charity over the past five decades. Filming will begin next week and the documentary will be broadcast in autumn 2026. A Buckingham Palace aide said: 'The King is pleased for the trust to have this wonderful opportunity to showcase their work to a global audience, sharing the compelling stories of some of the more than 1million young people it has helped in Britain and internationally over the past 50 years.' Buckingham Palace is increasingly turning to the documentary format to highlight the King's work and reach a wider audience. It has also proved willing to move away from domestic terrestrial producers such as the BBC and ITV that traditionally produce royal, set-piece documentaries. In January, it emerged that the monarch will appear in a feature-length film on Amazon Prime based upon his 'philosophy of harmony'. The film is being made in collaboration with The King's Foundation, which is this year celebrating its 35th anniversary, and is being filmed at Dumfries House, its base in Scotland. Due to be released at the end of this year or in early 2026, it has been described as 'a chance to show, not tell' viewers 'how they can transform people, places, and ultimately the planet.' The new Netflix documentary will be made by Elba's own production company, 22 Summers, which will involve young people supported by the King's Trust to help them build experience in film and television. It will mark the monarch's first collaboration with the streaming giant, which in recent years has become more known for its affiliation with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. In 1976, the King used his £7,400 severance pay from the Royal Navy to create the Prince's Trust, which helps disadvantaged young people get into education, training and jobs. 'King's Trust changed my life' Elba has recently spoken of his eternal gratitude to the King for founding the charity, admitting that it changed his life. The actor was 16 when he was awarded a £1,500 grant from the organisation to enable him to train at the National Youth Music Theatre. He admitted that when he initially applied, he thought he was wasting his time. But he came home from school one day to find a letter in a white, handwritten envelope addressed to 'Idris Elba Esq', complete with the royal seal. Inside was a cheque from the trust that enabled him to pursue his dream, putting him 'on the right trajectory.' Elba, who has also founded his own charity called the Elba Hope Foundation, said: 'The King's Trust gave me an opportunity that changed my life. 'At a time when I didn't have the resources to pursue my ambitions, they offered real, practical support – including financial help – that helped me take those first steps to advance my career. 'Today, through the Elba Hope Foundation, I'm focused on creating those same opportunities for young people who are full of potential but lacking access. Around the world, millions are still waiting for that one door to open. 'This documentary is about shining a light on what's possible when it does — and why the work of The King's Trust remains so important.' Jonathan Townsend, UK chief executive of The King's Trust, said: 'At its heart, this is a documentary about the power of believing in young people. 'It's about an idea, driven by a young Prince who was determined to make a positive difference, that when young people are supported to succeed, we all succeed.' The latest announcement follows several appearances by the King on television shows in recent years. At the end of last year he appeared on a BBC Christmas special of Countryfile which was filmed at his Highgrove home, highlighting the work of The King's Foundation's education programmes. The King also took part in a special episode of The Repair Shop in 2023, where he showcased the work of the charity's students and spoke about his passion for heritage crafts.
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Raymond Blanc hails work in hospitality during careers fair at Dumfries House
Celebrated chef Raymond Blanc encouraged teenagers to consider working in the hospitality industry during a careers fair organised by The King's Foundation. Blanc, 75, who became an ambassador for the foundation in March, spoke to 250 pupils from 16 schools at the event at Dumfries House, East Ayrshire, on Tuesday. The French chef, who has two Michelin stars at his Oxfordshire hotel and restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, shared stories about working his way up the ranks in kitchens, after starting as a pot-washer, and gave them an insight into the variety of jobs in the industry. Blanc has mentored notable chefs including Heston Blumenthal and Marco Pierre White, and also worked with aspiring chefs on BBC programme The Restaurant between 2007 and 2009 when couples competed to open a restaurant with his support. Dumfries House hosts an introduction to hospitality course run by the foundation, which aims to provide students with the skills, experience and confidence to work in both front and back-of-house roles. The course is accredited by City and Guilds and includes a week-long industry placement. Blanc, a father-of-two, said he is using his new role to 'encourage excellence' in the next generation working in hospitality. He said: 'At their age, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I started off as a cleaner before becoming the best dishwasher and glass cleaner. 'It's so important that young people are encouraged and supported to work in the hospitality industry as there's an enormous opportunity there for those willing to work hard. 'Education is something that's very important to me so I was proud to be a part of The King's Foundation's hospitality careers fair. 'Young people need good mentors to reach their full potential. 'As an ambassador for The King's Foundation, I want to take what we've learnt at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons and pair it with the excellent work of The King's Foundation to encourage excellence amongst the next generation of culinary and horticulture professionals.' Livia Alexander, hospitality education manager at the foundation, said: 'The hospitality industry continues to face challenges in terms of recruitment and retention, and events like this are so important as they show young people what the industry is really like, and give them an insight into the careers available. 'Having Raymond Blanc OBE come and talk to the pupils was an amazing opportunity for them. 'His story is so incredible, and the pupils left feeling inspired and motivated.'
The Independent
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Royal Ascot backs next generation of hat-makers from King's charity
The King's charity has announced a millinery partnership with Royal Ascot to nurture the next generation of hat-makers. Ahead of this month's world-famous meet, known as much for its colourful and creative displays of headwear as the horseracing, Ascot has introduced a £10,000 annual bursary to support a King's Foundation and Chanel graduating millinery student. Daniel McAuliffe, education director at The King's Foundation said: 'The royal family are incredible ambassadors for the craft of millinery and as the King's charity we are proud to be supporting the future of this skill at the most iconic hat-wearing event of the year.' The Foundation's students will also be showcasing their hats at this year's Royal Ascot, which runs from June 17-21, with a special display for racegoers in the Queen Anne Enclosure on the Berkshire course. The Chanel and The King's Foundation Metiers d'Art Millinery Fellowship in Partnership with le19M, Chanel's creative hub for artisans in Paris, was launched in 2024 with a cohort of six students. The intensive programme aims to develop a network of young specialist milliners in the UK, with the support of Parisian hat-maker Maison Michel at le19M. It forms part of The King's Foundation's wider work, inspired by Charles's passion for protecting traditional heritage skills at risk of being lost. Future students joining the millinery course will also be tasked with designing a Royal Ascot-inspired hat, with one selected to feature in the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective from 2026 onwards as its 11th design. The collective, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, is an annual presentation of 10 bespoke designs created exclusively for Royal Ascot under the creative direction of British fashion designer Daniel Fletcher. Mr McAuliffe added: 'This is such a fantastic opportunity for our talented millinery students as they begin to build their businesses. 'We are delighted to be working with Ascot and our long-term partners Chanel and le19M to recognise the importance of the British tradition of millinery.' Felicity Barnard, Ascot Racecourse's chief executive, said: 'Exquisite hats and millinery masterpieces are woven into the very fabric of Royal Ascot's heritage and we are committed to preserving and celebrating this tradition for generations to come.'
