Step into the glitzy King's Foundation award ceremony.
On a Tuesday, there was a big celebration as the 75-year-old monarch attended the opening ceremony of his King's Foundation's awards. We wanted to share this special moment with our Royal News readers.
Let's go back a bit - in 1990, when he was still Prince of Wales, King Charles III established this charity. His goal was to help revive communities while finding a balance between humans and the environment.
Today, the king's vision is the foundation's driving force. It's carried out through art and architecture training, traditional crafts, rural skills, healthcare, and regeneration projects.
The chief executive of The King's Foundation, Kristina Murrin, explained that their work is inspired by nature and tradition. They want to work in harmony with nature to create healthy, thriving communities.
The charity has six historic UK sites, like Dumfries House and Highgrove Gardens. They welcomed about 300,000 visitors in the past year. Globally, it has over a dozen sites. Last year, it positively impacted more than 15,000 students with their educational, skill-building, and training programs.
The cheery event, planned as an annual thing, saw big names like Rod Stewart, Penny Lancaster, David Beckham, Sienna Miller, Edward Enninful, Naomi Campbell, and Raymond Blanc give out awards on Tuesday. They celebrated students, teachers, former students, and partners who've helped forward the foundation's cause.
"We're excited to honor the winners," Murrin shared. "The charity is almost 35 years old, and we think now's a perfect time to celebrate." There were nine award categories in total.
The King Charles III Harmony Award was the last one given by the king himself. He created it to commend those who share the royal foundation's values of a world in balance with nature. He honored South Korean diplomat Ban Ki-Moon, the former UN secretary-general, for continuously advocating for these beliefs.
At the extravagant event in St. James's Palace, guests were entertained by pipers from the National Piping Centre and the Rock Choir. Lucky nominees and their families walked up the grand staircase to the lavish State Apartment for the party.
There were live exhibitions during the event, like furniture-making, woodworking, and embroidery demonstrations. King Charles seemed thrilled to learn about how the students prospered through learning and entrepreneurship in arts, textiles, rural skills, and health and wellbeing.
Alan Titchmarsh, a British gardener and broadcaster, shared he's been involved with the foundation for many years. "It's successful because it promotes practical skills like crafts and arts and caters to people who might otherwise be overlooked," he expressed.
Isabelle Pennington-Edmead won the Young Entrepreneur Award, given by Sienna Miller. She established her eco-friendly clothing line following her graduation from The Modern Artisan program. This summer, her collection will debut on an online retail platform while she continues to grow her ethical business.
After leaving the King's Foundation, she said, "It gave me the confidence and tools to start my own business."
In the Throne Room, King Charles caught up with David Beckham, a new ambassador for the foundation. They chatted about the England men's soccer team's upcoming European tournament. Beckham cited their recent friendly against Iceland as a temporary setback - but they're confident about doing well in Germany.
Charles, despite having returned to his duties and ongoing cancer treatment, hasn't lost any energy.
Paraphrased Version:
On a Tuesday, the 75-year-old monarch, King Charles III, attended the first-ever awards of his charity, the King's Foundation. And to make it even more special, our readers of Royal News got to go along!
To take it back a bit, the Prince of Wales (King Charles) set up this charity in 1990. He hoped it would help communities and connect them to nature. Now, after around 30 years, the King's beliefs are still at the heart of the foundation.
It's involved in many projects, including teaching art, architecture, traditional skills, and rural skills. They also work on health and wellbeing and regeneration.
The foundation's chief executive, Kristina Murrin, shared with CNN that their strong belief is working alongside nature to develop sustainable communities. She added, "We utilize inspiration from nature and traditions to figure out how we can partner with nature, not fight against it."
The charity has six historical spots in the United Kingdom, such as Dumfries House and Highgrove Gardens. In the last year, these places welcomed almost 300,000 visitors. They also have 13 more sites around the world. More than 15,000 people took part in their new educational, skill-building, and training programs last year.
The exciting event this week will be an annual thing. Famous people like rock star Rod Stewart and his wife, Penny Lancaster, athlete David Beckham, actress Sienna Miller, fashion editor Edward Enninful, model Naomi Campbell, and chef Raymond Blanc came to give out awards.
The ceremony showcased fantastic students, educators, and partners who've supported their goals. "We're super excited about these awards," Murrin told the press. "The charity has almost 35 years of hard work, and it's about time we celebrated it."
Nine awards were given, and the final one, the King Charles III Harmony Award, went to former UN chief Ban Ki-Moon. He was praised by the monarch for his endless efforts to promote their shared values of living in harmony with nature on the global stage.
At the fancy celebration at St. James's Palace, pipers and the Rock Choir played while guests arrived. Lots of nominees and their families took their places in the State Apartment.
Guests also experienced live demonstrations of some of the foundation's programs - like furniture-making, woodworking, and embroidery.
Beaming with happiness, King Charles talked with graduates about how they've grown in learning and entrepreneurship in the arts, textiles, rural skills, and health and wellbeing.
British gardener Alan Titchmarsh, known for his time on television, is happy to be part of the foundation. It encourages both practical skills like arts and crafts and keeps traditional skills from disappearing. He said, "It has such a positive impact on our communities, keeping traditional skills alive and helping people."
Isabelle Pennington-Edmead, 27, won the Young Entrepreneur Award from Sienna Miller. After finishing the King's Foundation's The Modern Artisan program, she created a label with an eco-friendly and ethical approach. This summer, her items will hit an online store, and her business will keep expanding.
She thanked the foundation, saying, "It's what inspired me to start this business."
The King talked to Beckham, who recently became a representative for the foundation. They chatted about the England men's soccer team's performance ahead of the Euro 2024 tournament, which began in Germany a few days later. Beckham reassured the King that they would be prepared, despite their loss to Iceland in a pre-tournament game.
Murrin shared with CNN that King's Foundation personnel questioned the amount of time Charles would dedicate to the charity once he ascended to the throne. However, Charles remains highly invested and dedicated to the cause.
Murrin expressed her gratitude for Charles taking on the role of the Royal Founding President, stating that he has been bringing awareness to environmental issues, the planet, and sustainability for decades. It's a true privilege to carry out his work. On top of that, Charles delights in witnessing the projects the foundation is creating, both domestically and internationally.
Read also:
The King's Foundation, established by King Charles III in the UK in 1990, has a global impact, positively affecting over 15,000 students with its educational programs last year.
The King's Foundation's work aligns with the United Nations, as evidenced by the recognition of Ban Ki-Moon, the former UN secretary-general, with the King Charles III Harmony Award for advocating their shared values of harmonious coexistence with nature.
