The close connection between King Charles and Sir Idris Elba who’s just been given a knighthood

King Charles has bestowed a knighthood on Idris Elba in the New Year’s Honours List and the reason is something that underlines the strong connection between the two.

Sir Idris Elba has been recognised for his work with young people which has seen him involved in many projects supporting ambition and talent development.

As well as his own Elba Hope Foundation, Sir Idris is also an ambassador for The King’s Trust. His Foundation works closely with the Trust.

The new knight has also credited The King’s Trust for starting his stellar career. He turned to it as a teenager when he was hoping to start out in acting. He was given a grant for it which helped him to pursue his ambition. He’s since gone on to become one of Britain’s most successful actors, starring in some of the biggest TV series and films of the past decades. He’s been nominated for Golden Globes and Baftas.

In recent years, he has worked closely with King Charles to keep supporting young people in their ambitions. Earlier this year, Sir Idris was at St. James’ Palace in London with The King for Youth Summit focused on providing opportunities through both The King’s Trust and the Don’t Stop Your Future Campaign.

The summit, which also took place in 2024, also focused on tackling problems including youth violence.

In 2024, his Elba Hope Foundation partnered with The King’s Trust on a new project to create opportunities for young people. Creative Futures provided free courses for youngsters to build the skills and confidence they needed for working in the creative industries.

In 2026, The King and the knight will be seen together in a Netflix programme documenting the impact of The King’s Trust as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Sir Idris leads an Honours list which also sees a Damehood for actor and comedian Meera Syal who is recognised for her services to drama, literature and charity.

Also knighted is Christopher Dean, the celebrated ice skater while his professional partner, Jayne Torvill, is made a Dame. There’s also a knighthood for Roy Clarke, creator of some of the most popular sitcoms and TV series of the past half century.

Cynthia Erivo, star of Wicked, becomes an MBE for services to music and drama.