A royal guest on 'Rocket Hour'
November 12, 2026, 7:24 a.m. Central time.
King Charles III has teamed up with longtime friend and pop music royalty Sir Elton John for a landmark broadcast of Apple Music’s Rocket Hour, marking the 50th anniversary of the youth charity the monarch founded in his twenties.
The hour-long special was recorded in secret last month and is set to air globally on Saturday, November 14—a broadcast date that directly coincides with King Charles' 78th birthday, according to the BBC.
The program was recorded at Apple Music’s newly inaugurated broadcast studios inside London’s Battersea Power Station, marking the first official show ever tracked in the high-tech studio complex, as reported by ITV News.
Fifty years of The King's Trust
The broadcast celebrates the golden jubilee of The King's Trust, established by Charles in 1976 as The Prince's Trust when he was the Prince of Wales. Using his £7,400 Royal Navy severance pay, Charles created the initiative to offer grants, mentorship, and training to disadvantaged young people navigating poverty, unemployment, and institutional barriers.
Over five decades, the charity has supported more than 1.3 million young people across the United Kingdom and internationally, launching tens of thousands of small businesses and creative careers.
During the conversation, Sir Elton and the King reflected on the unexpected creative breakthroughs funded by the trust, highlighting how the alternative rock band Muse received an early grant under the name Rocket Baby Dolls to purchase their first band equipment.
