Starmer, Elba, King Charles Discuss Youth Issues

British prime minister Keir Starmer and English actor Idris Elba joined King Charles for a discussion on youth opportunities as part of an event organized by The King's Trust in London.

They were joined by a group of young people at St James's Palace to discuss the challenges youngsters face and ways to address youth violence in the UK.

When he was a teenager, Elba was given a £1,500 grant by The Prince’s Trust, now known as the King's Trust, to go to the National Youth Music Theatre.

His charity, the Elba Hope Foundation, focuses on community empowerment, education, and sustainable development.

King Charles III met with actor Idris Elba to discuss youth violence and opportunity.

As an alum of The King's Trust, formerly The Prince's Trust, Elba, 51, has been involved in the charity's work to support youth. The English actor and DJ spoke with the king about ongoing and new projects, including a new Creative Futures initiative, which will support opportunities and jobs for young people in the arts, Buckingham Palace announced.

The pair attended a roundtable discussion with youth and youth organizations on creating positive opportunities to address youth violence in the United Kingdom.

"The Wire" actor's Elba Hope Foundation has also worked with The Prince's Trust International on projects in Sierra Leone, according to the palace. As a teen, Elba received about $1,944 from The Prince's Trust to attend the National Youth Music Theatre, a private theater school and charity in London.

Elba, who became an officer of the order of the British Empire in 2016, founded his Elba Hope Foundation with his wife, Sabrina Elba. The foundation's mission is to promote economic and educational opportunities for youth in marginalized and underserved communities, especially Africans and the African Diaspora.

The "Luther" actor has been a vocal advocate for youth and has called for the British government to better address youth violence.