The King said he was “riveted” to hear the story of a Royal Marine and boxer as he hosted actor Idris Elba, recipients of the King’s Trust and campaigners at St James’s Palace.
Kyle Shaw-Tullin, a Royal Marine Commando and Team GB boxer who was stabbed in Oldham, Greater Manchester, as a teenager, told guests at a discussion that getting back in the boxing ring after the attack helped keep him out of trouble.
“I was a victim of knife crime myself at the age of 17,” the 23-year-old said.
“After getting stabbed, I really turned my life around, mainly because of my boxing coach. He was a great mentor for me.
“But boxing was so important because it meant six nights a week I weren’t on the streets, I knew where I’d be.
“I’d always be in the gym, especially Friday night. He always called it naughty night. So I would be in the boxing gym.
“I’m not able to mess about – I’d be too tired to do anything else.”
Charles said he was “riveted” by Mr Shaw-Tullin’s story, adding that it was “quite a good point” about “being too exhausted to get into trouble”.
The King also invited Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who had come straight from chairing a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy in attendance too.
Charles spoke to Michael Gilroy, a fight promoter from Newcastle, who went on the King’s Trust’s enterprise programme.
Mr Gilroy struggled with his mental health and took up Muay Thai to help him with discipline, which led him to start his business Evol Promotions.
He told the PA news agency: “(The King is) a really funny character, he’s got a great sense of humour.
“As soon as he found out I was part of the King’s Trust and I’m an ambassador, he said he’s proud of me.”
The 27-year-old launched his business in June 2021 but said the first year was difficult.
“I learned more in the three-day enterprise course with the King’s Trust than I did in a year in business,” Mr Gilroy said.
He said he hopes to inspire people in his role as a young ambassador after “graduating” from the programme.
There were also discussions about other issues young people face in 2025.
Families of victims of knife crime were there, including Martin and Tara Cosser, the parents of Charlie Cosser, a 17-year-old who was stabbed at an end-of-term party nearly two years ago in Warnham, West Sussex.
“You are inspirational,” the Prime Minister told the campaigners.
“I find it really humbling that people that you have been through some of the most horrendous ordeals are able then somehow to turn that around and channel it into work to help other people that they will probably never meet and never know.
“I often ask myself, because we’ve got a 17-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl, I often ask myself, how would I react? And I’m not sure I would have the courage and resilience that you have to do what you do for other people.”
Sir Keir also lauded Elba’s “brilliant” campaign against knife crime, called Don’t Stop Your Future.
Meanwhile, the Luther star said there had been some “milestones” in knife crime campaigning, but added “we can’t take our foot off the pedal”.
The 52-year-old said: “We’ve seen some things happen, and that’s great.
“There’s also been a small rise in knife crime at the same time, OK?
“And compared to the year before that rising knife crime might be less than the year before, but it was still a rise.
“So we can’t take our foot off the pedal.
“We have to stay focused.”
