King Charles charms Australia’s Julie Bishop at St James’s Palace dinner

King Charles welcomed an international cohort of leaders at St James’s Palace this week, including former Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop, to celebrate the enduring impact of The King’s Trust. 

Ms Bishop shared snapshots from the glamorous evening on Instagram, capturing her chat with the monarch and moments from the function.

“A magnificent celebration with our founding patron HM King Charles III of the impact of The King’s Trust, an international charity working for young people to gain skills, employment and lifetime opportunities,” she wrote.

As chair of The King’s Trust Australia, Bishop joined counterparts from the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and the US to mark the charity’s half-century legacy. 

It began in 1976, when a young Prince Charles invested £7,400 from his Royal Navy severance pay to launch 21 grassroots projects from lifeguard training in Cornwall to a youth centre in East London has since transformed over a million lives worldwide.

Over the decades, the Trust expanded its reach and influence, pioneering innovative programs and fundraising galas that featured music legends like Phil Collins, Kate Bush, and Pete Townshend, turning royal philanthropy into an enduring global movement.

By the turn of the millennium, it had become a national powerhouse, guiding tens of thousands of young people each year into education, training, or work.

The 2000s saw it forge partnerships with major employers, embrace digital platforms, and roll out inventive programs in response to economic challenges.

In 2020, the charity celebrated a milestone supporting its one millionth young person, and in 2024, it rebranded as The King’s Trust.