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King Charles III has made his debut on Apple Music with a new show, dubbed The King's Music Room.
The special broadcast, recorded at Buckingham Palace, offers listeners a unique glimpse into His Majesty's musical tastes and experiences. It was created to mark Commonwealth Day (March 10) and features a diverse selection of music from across the 56 member states.
The King's Music Room first aired this morning at 6am GMT on Apple Music 1, the 24/7 radio station broadcast across over 150 countries worldwide, which that made its debut in June 2015. Don't worry if you missed that initial broadcast, Apple has confirmed it will repeat the special show from His Majesty "throughout Monday and Tuesday" across Apple Music 1, and another of the Californian company's global radio stations, Apple Music Hits.
Anyone can stream Apple Music 1 and Apple Music Hit live to listen to The King's Music Room for free. Unfortunately, there's no exact time for the next broadcasts across March 10 and 11, 2025.
- Listen to Apple Music 1 online for free to hear The King's Music Room
- Listen to Apple Music Hits online for free to hear The King's Music Room
- Listen to The King's Music Room on-demand right now with Apple Music subscriptionThe King's Music Room on-demand right now with Apple Music subscription
However, subscribers to Apple Music can listen anytime on-demand. The team of curators behind the music streaming service, which competes head-to-head with the likes of Spotify and Deezer, have featured The King's Music Room at the top of the New tab of the service.
If you have a subscription to Apple Music, you can listen to The King's Music Room at any time. The curation team has featured the 1hr 8min broadcast at the top of the New tab to stream now
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The King's playlist includes legendary artists Bob Marley, Kylie Minogue, and Grace Jones, alongside contemporary talent such as Davido and RAYE. During the show, broadcast to a global audience of 93 million people, King Charles III shares personal anecdotes about his encounters with some of the featured artists as well as the explanations behind these songs forming the soundtrack of his life.
In his introductory remarks for the show, which runs for 1-hour and 8-minutes, King Charles III says: "Throughout my life, music has meant a great deal to me. I know that is also the case for so many others.
"It has that remarkable ability to bring happy memories flooding back from the deepest recesses of our memory, to comfort us in times of sadness, and to take us to distant places. But perhaps, above all, it can lift our spirits to such a degree, and all the more so when it brings us together in celebration. In other words, it brings us joy."
Apple Music is available in 167 countries and regions. It has dedicated apps to stream across all Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Apple TV, and HomePod. If your vehicle supports CarPlay, it's possible to stream on-demand shows, like The King's Music Room, or live radio stations Apple Music 1 and Apple Music Hits via the infotainment system from your iPhone.
The service can also be used via dedicated applications for Android and Windows. Smart speakers, like Google Home and Amazon's Alexa, also support the service alongside smart TVs. You can stream Apple Music on any device at music.apple.com in your favourite web browser on laptops and desktop PCs.
King Charles III laughs with schoolchildren from St. George’s Primary School during a visit to Apple's UK headquarters in Battersea, accompanied by Chief Executive Tim Cook
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"You can see His Majesty’s wide-ranging enthusiasm for music in this playlist to mark Commonwealth Day," said Errollyn Wallen, CBE, Master of The King’s Music. "The Commonwealth has produced more than its fair share of wonderful songs, singers, and musicians, and this fun and eclectic collection is a great reminder of this treasure trove of creativity."
Apple Music subscriptions start from £10.99 per month. This unlocks 100 million songs, with support for Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, on-demand radio shows from Zane Lowe, Elton John, and King Charles III, to name a few. You'll also unlock curated playlists from a team of editors and music experts.
Students will pay just £5.99 a month for Apple Music, while families with up to six people can all stream Apple Music for £16.99 a month. Apple Music also features in a number of Apple One plans, which bundles several services together into an Amazon Prime-like plan.
"Apple Music Radio is where culture is happening worldwide, and we are honoured that King Charles III chose to share his personal playlist with us, and with music fans around the world," said Rachel Newman, Apple Music's global head of Content and Editorial.
King Charles III and Apple CEO Tim Cook in the Californian company's UK headquarters in Battersea in December 2024
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This isn't the first time we've seen a close collaboration between Apple and the British Monarch. In December last year, King Charles III visited Apple's UK headquarters at Battersea Power Station in London, where he was received by Apple CEO Tim Cook.
To mark the occasion, children from the nearby St. George’s Primary School created holiday artwork on iPad, which was then projected onto the power station’s iconic chimneys.
- Listen to Apple Music 1 online for free to hear The King's Music Room
- Listen to Apple Music Hits online for free to hear The King's Music Room
- Listen to The King's Music Room on-demand right now with Apple Music subscription
This engagement was part of the King's broader visit to the Battersea area, which also included attending the Battersea Community Christmas Market and meeting with local stallholders.
During his time at Apple's headquarters, King Charles met with Apple staff, local schoolchildren, and young individuals who have participated in The King's Trust programmes in partnership with Apple.
The Royal visit was designed to underscore the collaboration between The King's Trust and the $3.6 trillion US company in supporting youth initiatives and technological education.
Speaking at the time, CEO Tim Cook said: "We were honoured to welcome His Majesty King Charles to Apple Battersea — our home in the UK — and we’re proud to support The King’s Trust in its vital work educating and empowering young people. We look forward to our continued growth here, building on more than 40 years of history in the United Kingdom."
