King Charles III partners with Idris Elba for Netflix documentary on King’s Trust

King Charles III and actor Idris Elba are teaming up for a Netflix documentary to mark the 50th anniversary of charity The King’s Trust.

King Charles III

White House

Charles III launched The King’s Trust (then known as The Prince’s Trust) in 1976 to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. Elba was a beneficiary of a grant from the trust that enabled him to study acting as a young man.

He has gone on to become one of the UK’s most recognisable actors, starring in series such as The Wire and Luther and films including Thor and Beast.

In the doc, Elba will accompany the King as he offers access and insights into the trust. Produced by Elba and Diene Petterle’s prodco 22 Summers, it will begin filming this week and will launch on Netflix in autumn 2026.

Ashley Francis-Roy directs, while Petterle exec produces with Jonathan Smith and Eva Omaghomi. Clare Bradbury is showrunner. The production team will include young people supported by the trust to build experience in film and TV.

Jonathan Townsend, UK CEO of The King’s Trust, said: “At its heart, this is a documentary about the power of believing in young people. It’s about an idea, driven by a young prince who was determined to make a positive difference, that when young people are supported to succeed, we all succeed.

“Almost 50 years on, the momentum behind this idea has seen more than 1.3 million young people supported in over 20 countries around the world, including more than a million in the UK alone, through the work of The King’s Trust.

“Nobody understands the impact of this work better than those who have experienced the support we offer first hand. As a long-term supporter and former beneficiary of The Trust himself, Idris will undoubtedly bring a unique perspective to this ground-breaking documentary as he peels back the layers of our story and shows how our life-changing work is as relevant today as it has ever been.”