Britain’s King Charles III is stepping behind the microphone alongside Sir Elton John for a special hour-long broadcast of the singer's Apple Music radio show, Rocket Hour. Scheduled to premiere on Saturday, November 14, 2026—coinciding with the monarch's 78th birthday—the rare joint interview celebrates the 50th anniversary of The King’s Trust and highlights the role music has played in supporting the youth charity over the past five decades, according to Billboard and The Royal Family.

The special episode, titled Rocket Hour With His Majesty The King, was recorded in secret in early October at the new Apple Music Studios inside London’s Battersea Power Station. As reported by BBC News, the recording took place when the monarch and the music icon visited the facility to launch the Apple x King’s Trust Creative Labs, an initiative designed to help young people build skills for careers in the creative industries.

According to ITV News London, the conversation marked the very first recording conducted inside Apple’s new London radio studios.

Inside the Battersea Studio Conversation

During the one-hour broadcast, King Charles and Sir Elton reflect on decades of shared history, humorous exchanges, and high-profile benefit concerts. In preview clips and early reports from the session, the mood between the two longtime acquaintances appears relaxed and jovial. According to The Independent and the BBC, the King thanked the singer for adding "a little Rocket Power" to the occasion and praised him for becoming "such a national treasure after all these years."

Sir Elton responded to the compliment with self-deprecating humor, joking, "I'll be on the Antiques Roadshow," to which the King deadpanned, "Join the club."

In a voiceover for the program's trailer, Sir Elton noted that he was eager to hear the monarch's perspective on music, the charity's work, and the memories the two men share.

Addressing the King directly during the broadcast, the singer remarked on the monarch's lifelong commitment to youth mentorship, stating that championing young people is particularly vital within the arts and music sectors.

Rachel Newman, co-head of Apple Music, stated in an official release reported by Billboard that the company was proud to build upon its 11-year-plus relationship with Sir Elton and its creative partnership with the King by hosting the collaboration at the Battersea studios.

Five Decades of The King’s Trust and Music

Formerly known as The Prince’s Trust, the organization was established by Charles in 1976—when he was the Prince of Wales—to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds secure employment, gain education, or launch their own businesses.

As the organization marks its 50th anniversary in 2026, both the palace and Apple Music framed the radio broadcast around the intersection of philanthropy and live performance.

In a formal statement accompanying the announcement, King Charles explained his decision to participate in the broadcast. "Music has always been at the heart of The Prince’s, and now The King’s Trust," the King said. "So when I was asked whether I would like to showcase a selection of music from among the many talented performers who have so generously supported us over the years, together with some of the newer artists The Trust has helped to launch, it was an opportunity too good to resist."

Sir Elton has maintained a decades-long association with the charity. Throughout the 1980s, he performed at the Prince’s Trust Rock Gala concerts held at Wembley, and the pair used the radio episode to reminisce about those 1980s galas alongside later benefit concerts staged at the Royal Albert Hall and Hyde Park.

More recently, Sir Elton donated a pair of his signature rose-tinted glasses to the Trust’s 50th-anniversary fundraising auction in May 2026. His history with the royal household also includes being dubbed a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in February 1988 and receiving the Order of the Companions of Honour from Charles at Windsor Castle in 2021.

The radio collaboration also connects directly to contemporary workforce development. The newly launched Apple x King’s Trust Creative Labs program consists of specialized workshops intended to equip young participants with technology, resources, and practical industry skills to help them transition into the modern workplace.

The Royal Playlist and Broadcast Schedule

According to ITV News, the hour-long program features more than a dozen musical tracks chosen by the King and Sir Elton. While officials kept the complete tracklist under wraps ahead of the premiere, different outlets confirmed several key inclusions prior to broadcast.

Both the BBC and ITV News noted that the playlist features Muse’s rendition of "Feeling Good," Raye’s "Joy," and Skye Newman’s "Hairdresser," while Billboard also identified Nectar Woode’s "Wine Into Water" among the featured selections.

Muse serves as one of the most prominent examples of the charity's early-career intervention. As noted by Billboard, the British rock band received a grant from the then-Prince’s Trust early in their career to purchase sound equipment. The band later returned the support by headlining a sold-out benefit concert for the organization at London's Royal Albert Hall in 2018.

For listeners in the United States and around the world, the Royal Family’s official schedule outlines several ways to tune in:

  • Initial Premiere: Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 9 a.m. GMT (4 a.m. ET / 1 a.m. PT) on Apple Music 1.
  • Saturday Encore Broadcasts: 5 p.m. GMT (12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT) and 10 p.m. GMT (5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT) on Apple Music 1.
  • Sunday Encore Broadcasts: November 15 at 2 a.m. GMT and 6 a.m. GMT on Apple Music 1, followed by simulcasts on both Apple Music 1 and Apple Music Hits at 10 a.m. GMT (5 a.m. ET) and 2 p.m. GMT (9 a.m. ET).
  • On-Demand Streaming: According to 9to5Mac, the special episode will also be made available on demand for Apple Music subscribers.

Broader Royal Context and Media Reaction

Beyond the musical nostalgia and charitable milestones, the timing of the sit-down has drawn scrutiny from royal observers due to Sir Elton's close ties to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. As reported by Yahoo Entertainment, the broadcast airs amid ongoing estrangement between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the wider royal family, with Sir Elton remaining one of the most prominent public figures connected to both camps.

The report highlights observations from royal journalist Tom Sykes in The Royalist, who pointed out that Sir Elton is an active co-claimant alongside Prince Harry in a high-profile privacy lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL). On November 6—just eight days before the radio premiere, though weeks after the October studio recording—the singer, the Duke of Sussex, and other claimants filed legal applications seeking permission to appeal the dismissal of their privacy claims.

While sources close to the monarch had previously indicated that the King wished to avoid any association with court proceedings involving his younger son, Buckingham Palace has kept its public messaging strictly focused on the 50th anniversary of The King’s Trust and the charity's long-standing ties to the British music industry.

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