King Charles will appear in a new documentary tackling the root causes of knife crime alongside Idris Elba, Hollywood star, anti-knife activist and… DJ at Prince Harry’s wedding.
In the upcoming BBC documentary titled ‘Idris Elba: A Year of Knife Crime’, the monarch will be seen meeting The Wire actor to discuss solutions to the growing problem of knife crime in the UK.
Charles, 75, and Idris, 52, will also be joined by some of the young people most affected by youth violence.
Idris said: “Many people dismiss knife crime as something that doesn’t affect them, assuming it’s an urban, black and brown gang-related problem, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.”
‘White, middle class and rural areas are also affected, the perpetrators are getting younger and fear is spreading.
King Charles III (left) and Idris Elba met in July to discuss youth opportunities at St James’s Palace, central London.
“I hope our film goes some way to changing these stereotypes and getting everyone engaged with one of the biggest challenges of our time.”
Their meeting in the documentary, which will be broadcast in early 2025, will not be the first time that the King and the award-winning actor have joined forces.
In July this year, the couple met at St James’s Palace, where they discussed the future of The King’s Trust, of which the legendary actor is an alumnus.
Discussions ranged from the charity’s ongoing work to support young people to how it can continue to create positive opportunities and initiatives that could help tackle youth violence in the UK.
The pair also commit to working together on a new ‘Creative Futures’ initiative, to inspire young people through the arts and support them to find jobs in the creative industries.
Idris and Charles also participated in a roundtable, which also included Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with people from youth organizations to hear their reflections.
As a teenager, Idris received a £1,500 grant from the then Prince’s Trust to go to the National Youth Music Theater and has since become an international superstar.
And it’s not the only link he has with royalty: in 2018, the star also performed as a DJ at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding.
The versatile Idris Elba, 52, was the DJ at the wedding of Prince Harry (right) and Meghan Markle.
The Wire actor’s anti-knife activism stems from his own life experience, growing up in what he describes as a difficult part of east London, where violence was always a possibility.
In 2020, Idris was also among a group of celebrities and creatives who thanked the Prince’s Trust in a video released by the charity, celebrating helping one million young people.
In the clip, the actor credits the Trust for giving him the start he needed to launch his now successful career.
“When I was about 18, I had the wonderful experience of auditioning for The Prince’s Trust,” he revealed.
“The Prince’s Trust awarded me £1,500, which allowed me to start and develop my career.”
‘Idris Elba: A Year of Knife Crime’ will also feature Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Before Labor came to power, Sir Keir had promised that his government would commit to halving knife crime if elected.
On July 9, Idris attended a Downing Street summit with Sir Keir and spoke passionately about his campaign on the issue of knife crime.
Memorably, Idris said he wants to make sure his 10-year-old son never suffers a knife crime.
Idris Elba, Yemi Hughes, whose 19-year-old son Andre Aderemi was murdered in 2016, Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper during a knife crime summit at Number 10 on September 9.
The meeting was organized to launch a coalition aimed at preventing young people from being drawn into violent gangs.
Idris’ commitment to the subject stems from his own life experiences: He faced a crossroads in his life as a teenager and knows how easy it would have been to take a different path.
Growing up in what he describes as a tough part of the East. LondonViolence was always a possibility.
Eager to understand why knife crime continues to persist despite some efforts to combat it, the actor will analyze the causes of knife crime.
The documentary will ask why someone chooses to carry a knife and examine the effect of school exclusions and the influence of social media.