King Charles is marking his 78th birthday with a playlist and a conversation with Elton John, using the occasion to look back on five decades of charitable work and the music that helped sustain it.

The hour-long Rocket Hour episode, recorded in secret at Apple Music Studios in London’s Battersea Power Station, is due to air at 9 a.m. on November 14. The King and the singer discuss favourite performances and artists connected to the King’s Trust, formerly the Prince’s Trust.

One account emphasizes the range of music in the programme, from performances at the trust’s 1980s Wembley Arena rock galas to newer artists it has helped launch. Charles called the invitation to showcase them “an opportunity too good to resist.”¹

Another focuses on the practical effect of that support. Muse, for example, received a grant to buy sound equipment when the band was starting out under the name Rocket Baby Dolls. Charles said he had wanted to invest “particularly in talent,” while Elton John praised the trust’s work with young people.²

The conversation also has a lighter side. After Charles called Elton John a “national treasure,” the singer joked, “I’ll be on the Antiques Roadshow next.” The King replied, “join the club.”³

Founded by Charles in 1976, the trust helps young people facing difficult circumstances find employment or start businesses. The pair recorded the episode during a visit for the launch of Apple and the trust’s Creative Labs, a programme intended to help young people explore creative careers.