The King told a woman he is “really proud” of her for overcoming struggles to find a job, as he met with young professionals at Buckingham Palace.
Joined by Sir Gareth Southgate, Charles met 20 young people supported into work by The King’s Trust on Wednesday.
Among those he spoke with was Trishna Lamichhane, 28, who said she was “really grateful” to Charles after she received work experience through his charity’s retail programme.
Speaking at the Youth Opportunity Summit about moving to Belfast from Nepal, she said: “I had my experience, however I was finding it really difficult to get interviewed, which is why I started losing my confidence.
“I had moved from a different country, and I was finding it very difficult to navigate the workplace culture here. The King’s Trust helped me, and I am now in a position where I’m proud of myself because I’m actually doing something I really love.”
Ms Lamichhane said Charles was “really happy to hear” she is now helping other young people step into careers in her HR role at Marks & Spencer, and said he is “really proud” of her.
As part of the event, charity ambassador Sir Gareth announced a new national initiative which will see 18 to 30-year-olds supported into employment through mentoring schemes, online resources and work experience opportunities from 2027.
The former England football manager told the Press Association: “What I see is so much talent that isn’t being fulfilled that maybe just needs support at the right moment to gain belief in what they’re doing.
“The beauty of sport is that you always have a coach, somebody to guide you in those moments where you lose belief… I definitely had that with my youth coaches at Crystal Palace, without whom I wouldn’t have made the steps through to being a player.”
Prior to Charles’s arrival, young guests received advice and guidance in one-to-one sessions with leaders in business, sport, civil society and the media, including Sir Gareth.
He added: “I’ve heard that story so many times this morning from youngsters in real diverse, different career paths. It was all about someone who believed in them, somebody that could guide them, somebody they could just pick up the phone and check in with.
“It doesn’t have to be super-complicated, but it’s really, really powerful.”
Earlier in the visit, Charles greeted Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy warmly in the Marble Hall, sharing a joke with the pair.
The Cabinet ministers were joined by famous figures including actor Benedict Cumberbatch, comedian Tom Davis and broadcaster Sonali Shah, all of whom took part in the mentoring sessions as part of the summit.
Charles posed for a photo with attendees including mentees, mentors, youth group leaders and business executives on the steps of the Grand Hall.
He met with young people at two previous Youth Opportunity Summits at St James’s Palace in 2024 and 2025, where he discussed the impact of youth violence and the power of creative industries to inspire.
The Trust says it has helped more than 1.3 million young people across the UK in the past 50 years as part of its commitment to ending youth unemployment and helping more young people create better futures for themselves.
