Rod Stewart joins King to launch 35th anniversary celebrations for charity
Events took place at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, the headquarters of The King’s Foundation.
Sir Rod Stewart and the King joked over secateurs as Charles placed a pair of his own in a time capsule to mark the launch of 35th anniversary celebrations for his charity.
Charles was joined by Sir Rod and his wife Penny Lancaster, the newest ambassadors for The King’s Foundation, for the event at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire where it has its headquarters.
The King’s Foundation was founded as the Prince of Wales’s Institute of Architecture by Charles in 1990 when he was Prince of Wales, and works to build sustainable communities and transform lives.
Along with gardener Alan Titchmarsh, another ambassador for the charity, Charles, Sir Rod and Lancaster seemed to enjoy looking at the initial items placed in the time capsule, including marmalade, a local newspaper, flowers from the Dumfries House garden and photos.
Over the course of the year, the charity will collect items which people feel represent the achievements and legacy of the foundation, and it will then be buried on the Dumfries House estate and opened in 100 years.
Noticing a bottle of malt whisky, the King said: “That will be really interesting in 100 years’ time.”
He also seemed amused at a contribution from Titchmarsh – a mug with the slogan “The lawn ranger”.
The time capsule itself was designed and made from oak at the Snowdon School of Furniture, part of The King’s Foundation at Highgrove, by King’s Foundation alumnus Aiden Lawley, who said it was “an honour” to create it.
Before the King entered the room, Sir Rod had jokingly pretended he was preparing to throw his watch into the empty box.
He then pretended to cower as Charles picked up his secateurs to place them in the capsule, to the King’s amusement.
Charles then put in his personal letter, saying “I’ll bury this at the bottom”.
The capsule design has been left intentionally plain to both celebrate the British timber used and to give space for other students and alumni to add decorative elements throughout the year.
The foundation works to promote the King’s philosophy of harmony which sees everything in nature as interconnected, including ourselves, and advocates taking a holistic approach to the challenges facing the planet.
During the visit on Wednesday, the King spoke to members of the local community, ambassadors and alumni of the foundation.
He also met a former King’s Foundation student, Lily Marsh, who now runs a successful sculpting business, who has created a new bust of Charles.
Sir Rod, who has just celebrated his 80th birthday, and model, special constable and Loose Women star Lancaster have joined the likes of David Beckham and Sienna Miller in the role of celebrity ambassadors.
The veteran rocker, whose hits include Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?, Hot Legs and Maggie May, said: “We are so pleased to be coming on board as ambassadors for The King’s Foundation and look forward to lending our support to this worthwhile cause, particularly during such a significant year for the charity.”
Lancaster, also known as Lady Stewart, said: “As a volunteer special constable, the foundation’s approach to building communities – and how access to green spaces can help build better, healthier places – is particularly important to me.
“It’s an honour to be working with the foundation and I can’t wait to meet more of the inspiring people who both learn with and work for the organisation.”
The charity supports 15,000 students across its education programmes each year and said it has a positive impact on hundreds of thousands of people around the world through its community regeneration projects.
Its textiles education programmes work to train the next generation of young craftspeople in heritage and endangered skills, but it also focuses on sustainability, farming and agriculture, health and wellbeing, and architecture and urbanism.
Titchmarsh said: “It’s quite evident when you see the King talking to people who have benefited from all the initiatives that are run under the umbrella of The King’s Foundation that he is so thrilled that they have taken up the challenge and discovered things which really do fulfil you in life.
“Watching the King when he meets people who have enjoyed one of these courses on so many different and disparate subjects, his delight is quite palpable.”
The foundation’s headquarters are at Dumfries House, which was saved for the nation in 2007 by a consortium led by Charles.
Kristina Murrin, chief executive of The King’s Foundation, said they are “thrilled” to begin celebrations for the 35th anniversary.
She added: “We are so proud of what The King’s Foundation has achieved over the past 35 years.
“I hope those uncovering the time capsule in 2125 will recognise the positive impact both the King and his foundation have had on the world and its communities.”
An amalgamation of Charles’s charities in the year he turned 70 created The Prince’s Foundation in 2018, which was renamed The King’s Foundation in 2023 to reflect his accession to the throne.
