King Charles enjoys performance from Elton John at reception for UK’s international investment summit
The King joined some of the world’s top chief executives and industry leaders at a reception that capped off the government’s first major summit to woo investors, and enjoyed a performance from Sir Elton John.
Some 300 guests attended the exclusive reception at St Paul’s Cathedral on Monday where Charles spoke to a wide group of notable figureheads.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web, astronaut Tim Peake, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and Michelin-starred chef Clare Smyth, also spent time with Charles. Sir Elton John was also in attendance and performed at the reception.
Former England manager Gareth Southgate and Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh, who had taken part in earlier events at the International Investment Summit, also attended the reception.
During his 45-minute appearance, Charles also spoke to Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the Saudi businessman who is governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and chairman of Newcastle United.
International Investment Summit sponsors and supporters including executives from HSBC UK, Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays and Octopus Energy also met Charles.
The King was greeted at the event by prime minister Sir Keir Starmer. Earlier, Sir Keir had told the summit, at the Guildhall in the City of London, that boosting economic growth would help tackle the rise of populism by repairing public services and putting cash in people’s pockets as efforts to woo global investors netted deals worth £63 billion.
The Prime Minister rolled out the red carpet for chief executives, promising to rip up regulations to get projects off the ground if they put funding into the UK.
“We live in an age where political fires rage across the world. Conflict, insecurity, a populist mood that rails against the open values so many of us hold dear,” he said.
But at the same time, it was “an age of great possibility” with a “huge revolution in digital technology, in clean energy, medicine, life sciences, each with a competitive potential to fundamentally change the way we live and the way that we work”.
“Each with the possibility to transform the lives of working people for the better,” he said.
That meant economic growth was “vital if we’re to steer our way through a great period of insecurity and change and on to calmer water”.