King Charles calls time on 'terrifying' knife crime epidemic

King Charles has brought renewed urgency to the fight against knife crime, hosting a powerful summit at St James’s Palace alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer and actor Idris Elba.

Describing the crisis as "devastating" and one that leaves families across the country "terrified," the monarch underscored his deep concern for the rising violence affecting young people in Britain.

The high profile gathering marked the one year anniversary of the King’s initial call to action on the issue.

The summit, held to mark one year since the King first launched conversations around tackling knife crime, brought together a powerful mix of voices, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, actor and activist Idris Elba, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, and members of the Downing Street-formed Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime.

"I was riveted to hear what Kyle was saying about his experiences,” King Charles said, referencing the young man’s remark that boxing had left him “too exhausted to get into trouble."

Reflecting on the importance of positive outlets for youth, the King noted, "It does seem to me, what you were saying about being too exhausted to get into trouble is quite a good point when you're a teenager. 

You’ve got so much energy, and it can so easily go in the wrong direction if not channelled constructively."

Advocating for a united, community-led response to the epidemic of knife violence, Charles shared a personal piece of wisdom, “A wonderful old Irishman I knew years ago said that two sheep’s heads are always better than one.”

“And it’s true if you bring more people together who are involved in the same sort of field, then there is a great deal more you can achieve,” the King said.

"So I’m enormously grateful to you all. I look forward very much to seeing the actual progress on the ground, which will make a huge difference to so many parents’ lives otherwise they’re devastated by the terrifying result of violent knife crime."

“We’ve seen some things happen, and that’s great,” Elba said. “But there’s also been a small rise in knife crime at the same time, OK? We can’t take our foot off the pedal.”

The summit marked a critical moment in the national conversation around youth safety, with King Charles taking a leading role in convening voices across government, community, and culture to spark meaningful and measurable progress.