King Charles welcomed a group of exceptional young leaders to Dumfries House in East Ayrshire this week for a special reception hosted by The King’s Foundation.
The event highlighted the charity’s “35 under 35” network, a prestigious initiative showcasing 35 young adults making remarkable contributions across fields such as sustainable fashion, architecture, health, and craftsmanship.
As the foundation marks its 35th anniversary, the gathering provided these innovators a unique opportunity to present their groundbreaking projects directly to him.
The network brings together young leaders making strides in craftsmanship, sustainable fashion, architecture, health, and environmentalism.
As part of the reception, each member placed a representative item into the foundation’s anniversary time capsule, launched by the King in January and set to be buried for 100 years in 2026.
Among the contributions, Siobhan Mackenzie, Scottish fashion designer and creator of the official tartan for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, placed a sample of the tartan along with its official certification.
Jo Rance, a contemporary landscape painter, contributed a painting of the Kitchen Garden at Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire, highlighting the creative spirit celebrated by the foundation.
Angelica Ellis, an embroidery artist and alumna of The King’s Foundation and the Chanel Métiers d’Art Embroidery Fellowship, placed her “tambour” hook used in bespoke couture embroidery into the foundation’s anniversary time capsule.
The reception formed part of the network’s wider visit to the 2,000 acre Dumfries House estate, where participants explored the charity’s history and mission, joined educational workshops, and immersed themselves in the estate’s rich heritage.
Dame Ann Limb, Chair of Trustees for Foundation, praised the young innovators, saying, “It has been wonderful to have our ’35 under 35′ at the charity’s headquarters, Dumfries House.
It is entirely fitting that these young makers and changemakers, who work across the areas we are passionate about, meet our royal founding president, The King, and contribute to our time capsule as we continue to celebrate our 35th anniversary.
We are inspired by these young innovators and look forward to working with them for the rest of the year, and into the future.”
