The selfless way King Charles is marking his 78th birthday shows how similar he and Princess Anne truly are
Since ascending the throne, he now has two birthdays but his actual one has a very different focus
The King and Princess Anne are only 21 months apart in age and even though their personalities seem quite different on the surface, he shares her approach to birthdays. King Charles's official birthday is always marked with the spectacular Trooping the Colour parade but that's a long-standing tradition for the monarch.
He can choose to celebrate his actual birthday on 14th November however he likes and this year as he turns 78, Charles is selflessly shining a spotlight on others. This the day his pre-recorded episode of Sir Elton John's Apple Music radio show, Rocket Hour, is airing and in it, the King highlights the important work of The King's Trust.
King Charles talks about the role music has played in the charity and the songs chosen for the show have a special connection to it. Even Elton admits he "never knew" some of the musicians were involved, saying that it "reinforces for [him] all the great work [the King has] done all these 50 years."
The full track list has been kept under wraps until the broadcast date, but Skye Newman's Hairdresser, Raye's Joy and Muse's rendition of Feeling Good are understood to be included.
Discussing the impact of The King's Trust, His Majesty declared, "It is wonderful to see the difference that can be made through the Trust's programmes to people's self-confidence and self-belief. Really what I was trying to do is invest in the future. But particularly investing in talent."
He founded what was then The Prince's Trust in 1976 with the aim of helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to find employment, launch their own businesses or overcome challenging situations. The episode being released on his 78th birthday won't be a coincidence and it shows King Charles is determined to turn his big day into a big day for the Trust instead.
It's not about him, but the date will perhaps make the episode even more high-profile and raise more awareness. This feels very Princess Anne-esque to me, as she also wants her birthdays to be a platform for the organisations and causes she supports.
She marked turning 75 by hosting more than 100 of her charities at Buckingham Palace. According to The Telegraph, she asked to use the occasion to focus on her patronages' work and wasn't expected to carry out public celebrations.
Her private secretary Colonel John Boyd apparently said at the event, "It probably won't come as a surprise, given HRH's commitment to you all, that the way the Princess wants to celebrate this milestone is to replicate what she's done on previous significant birthdays and hold this charities' forum."
There has been some fanfare in the past, like when she turned 70, but in general the Princess doesn't step into the spotlight around her birthdays. This is something she and her elder brother have in common and although King Charles secretly recorded the Rocket Hour episode in advance, he's been known to carry out engagements on his big day.
Last year he and Queen Camilla braved Storm Claudia to visit Cyfarthfa Castle in Wales. As his birthday falls on a Saturday in 2026, he could simply spend the day quietly at Clarence House and apart from the release of the radio show, the only other thing we might expect is a new photo released on social media to mark the occasion.
