King Charles Tries DJing as His Young Instructor Says He Gives Off ‘Granddad Vibes’ (Exclusive)

Simon PerryMon, March 16, 2026 at 3:30 PM UTC

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Christian St. Louis and King CharlesCredit: Jacob King / POOL / AFP via Getty -

King Charles met with young creatives who have been helped by his King's Trust organization

The monarch visited Aviva Studios, where he tried his hand at DJing, a favorite hobby of his charity ally, Idris Elba

Elba received a grant from the King's organization back when it was The Prince's Trust, which he has said allowed him the chance to pursue acting as a career

King Charles received a warm reception as he stepped out in Manchester on Monday, March 16, to support young people who have benefited from his most enduring cause.

The King, 77, was in the vibrant city in northern England to see how the organization he started 50 years ago is helping burgeoning young creative talent. The King’s Trust, formerly called The Prince’s Trust, was established to help disadvantaged young people find jobs and the skills they needed to break into the workplace across a wide range of areas.

King Charles has enlisted the help of actor Idris Elba and his wife, Sabrina, in an initiative called the Creative Futures program, which designs courses to build skills for young people in the arts and film, TV and theatre world. The Elba Hope Foundation’s Creative Futures has helped more than 100 young people since its inception.

Elba, 53, has credited his start in the arts to a grant he received from The Prince's Trust when he was 18. The grant enabled Elba to attend the U.K.'s prestigious National Youth Music Theatre, and he has been an ambassador for the charity for many years.

While the Luther star didn't join King Charles for this outing, the monarch did get to try his hand at one of Elba's favorite hobbies — DJing — during his visit to Aviva Studios.

Christian St. Louis, 22, spoke with PEOPLE about teaching the King how to mix music on a turntable.

“I showed him how to put the fade up and stop one track and fade the second one in,” he says. “I got genuine energy from him; he didn’t seem like he was being forced to be here. He seemed like he wanted to be here and was pretty involved with the people who are here."

"It all went quite fast," St. Louis continued. "It was wicked.”

He adds, “He is a lot more quiet, a lot more composed than I imagined. I got granddad vibes. When you think of your grandma and your granddad — it’s like someone you see wisdom [in]. He gives me that kind of energy.”

St. Louis has been supported by the King’s Trust to build his confidence in work, helping him with interviews, “to help me with my future.” He has since been on a music and a DJ course.

Christian St Louis helps King Charles operate his DJ deck during a visit to Aviva Studios on March 16, 2026Credit: Jacob King - WPA Pool/Getty

The DJ lesson appeared to have gone down well with those in the Aviva Studios, where Factory Academy and its courses in the creative industries are based.

Student Mubarra Shah, 25, tells PEOPLE, “He found it really funny. He loved it. Everyone clapped, and people were laughing.”

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“The King’s Fund helps so much. We wouldn’t be able to do these things, so it was nice to see the person behind the trust that helps Factory Academy exist. It’s helped me get work experience, and I once I was an alumni, there is a pool of people I can learn from, so it is not scary. Everyone knows you don’t necessarily understand everything.”

Also at Aviva, the King met young people and trainees who explained the technical equipment, lighting, instruments and staging they have been studying at the space with the guidance of Factory Academy, a branch of the creative hub Factory International. King Charles spoke to the students at each station and was told about the positive contribution Factory and Aviva have made.

King Charles visits Aviva Studios in Manchester on March 16, 2026Credit: Jacob King / POOL / AFP via Gett

Outside the building, the King unveiled a plaque and met with members of the community. A choir from the Royal Northern College of Music added to the creative atmosphere with music and song.

The monarch also stopped to chat with some young children — five 1-year-olds and one 2-year-old — with Jodie Pownall and Nick Standring, from New Mills, Derbyshire.

“He said ‘Hello, are these your children? You are doing a fantastic job,’ ” Pownall tells PEOPLE. “And he thanked us for waiting to meet him.”

They were going to take the kids to a local museum when she then heard of the King's visit nearby. The children, fed on sandwiches, waited patiently for an hour or so.

“It was too good an opportunity not to pass up. It’s a chance they can’t really miss,” she says.

While in Manchester, he also visited the Renew Hub Greater Manchester for the launch of an initiative called Circularity in Practice. They reuse, repurpose and remanufacture building materials and household goods, avoiding the unnecessary additional use of natural resources. Additionally, he stopped by a Greencore food manufacturing site in Warrington to see how the food industry is transforming its approach to tackling food waste and reducing hunger.

King Charles visits Aviva Studios in Manchester on March 16, 2026Credit: Jacob King - WPA Pool/Getty

While Elba wasn't present for this particular day, focused on the creative futures of the younger generations, he recently gave the King a personal tour of another project close to his heart.

Last month, the Beast star showed King Charles around his alma mater, Barking and Dagenham College, which, as of 2021, is home to the Idris Elba Film and TV Studio.

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King Charles and Queen Camilla greet Idris Elba during a visit Dagenham College on Feb. 18, 2026Credit: Ian Vogler - WPA Pool/Getty

The King has clearly been moved by Elba's efforts to help other young creatives like he was helped years ago. In January, it was announced that Elba will receive a knighthood in recognition of his work for young people.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”