King Charles Jokes About Getting Older During Elton John’s Rocket Hour Show

King Charles marked his 78th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the King’s Trust with a special appearance on Elton John’s Apple Music show, Rocket Hour. The monarch shared a playlist tied to the charity’s history and traded jokes with the singer about ageing and staying power. Charles recalled John performing “I’m Still Standing” at a 1986 concert for the trust’s 10th anniversary. “Forty years on from that remarkable concert, we and the trust are definitely still standing,” he said. John quipped that he was “still sitting now,” prompting Charles to add that, as people get older, there can be “occasional bits dropping off here and there.” The king described the invitation to appear on the programme as “an opportunity too good to resist.” His selections included “Giant” by Calvin Harris and Rag’n’Bone Man, which he connected with the idea of drawing strength from those who came before. He also chose Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight,” praising the musician’s support for the trust and saying he was delighted about Collins’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. Charles included Rod Stewart’s version of “Handbags and Gladrags,” citing his admiration for Stewart and noting that Stereophonics had received help from the trust early in their career. He also recalled that Muse, then known as Rocket Baby Dolls, had received a small grant for audio equipment in 1994 before becoming a major stadium band. Asked to pick a song with special meaning, Charles chose the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love.” He remembered hearing it performed at the Party at the Palace concert celebrating his late mother’s Golden Jubilee, describing the occasion as unforgettable. The episode brought together music memories with the charity’s long-running focus on giving young people an early opportunity.