King Charles III hosts Idris Elba to hear from young people about the troubles they face

LONDON — We hear you.

That was the simple message offered to a group of young people hosted in London on Friday by King Charles III, who also invited Hollywood megastar Idris Elba and Prime Minister Keir Starmer to St. James' Palace to discuss the troubles that young people face.

Elba, the London-born star of “The Wire” and “Luther,” has used his celebrity status to shine a light on youth violence, urging the British government to ban machetes and serrated “zombie” knives to help stop young people from falling victim to knife crime.

“This topic has always had a spike in interest when we lose a life,'' Elba said. "I think where we are right now ... our country is wanting to have some change and is consistently banging on that door for change.”

In the U.K., which has strict gun-control laws, about four in 10 homicides involve a knife or sharp instrument. But knife crime involving young people in Britain’s cities has prompted particular concern. In London, 21 teenagers were killed in 2023, 18 of whom were stabbed to death.

In worrying about the nation's youth, Elba finds a kindred spirit in the king.

Charles has long championed efforts to help young people. As the Prince of Wales, Charles founded the Prince’s Trust — now known as the King’s Trust — which helps young people get jobs, education and training. Since its founding in 1976, it has helped more than 1 million young people across the U.K.

And one of those who benefited was Elba, who as a teenager was given a 1,500 pound grant by the trust to attend the National Youth Music Theatre. Elba described himself as a “product of intervention.″

It's certainly a good time to raise long-term issues. Starmer, who won a landslide election earlier this month, said the “most important voices around this table are the young people here who have told (about) their experiences.''

“We need to listen, take it in and reflect on that,'' he said.