Netflix series “The Crown”
The true story of how King Charles breakdanced in the 80’s
King Charles has previously undreamt-of talents
© Jane Barlow/PA Wire/dpa
In the new season of “The Crown” you can see the young Charles breakdancing. What many may not know: The scene is not invented, but actually took place in a similar way.
As a viewer, you think the episode is already over, but then another highlight comes: young Charles (played by Dominic West) swings onto the dance floor – and dances breakdance with some young people. What an ending to episode 5 of the new season “The Crown”.
But the dance routine from the episode “The Way Ahead” is by no means made up. It actually took place, like Netflix writes on his blog and how it can also be seen in a YouTube video. There Charles looks quite shy in 1985 and hesitantly enters the dance stage. His breakdancing moves seem a bit awkward and it doesn’t seem like he’s trained beforehand. But the appearance has a very serious background.
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The special dance routine is related to Charles’ charity “The Prince’s Trust”, which the monarch founded in 1976. At the time, the country was in turmoil due to rising unemployment. The future did not look very bright for Britain’s underprivileged youth – and the role of the monarchy in society was increasingly debated.
“The Prince’s Trust” was financed by the money Charles was entitled to after his service in the Royal Navy. The £7,400 (equivalent to around £40,000 in 2022) has been invested to support a number of community initiatives, such as a fishing club and a bicycle repair workshop.
The program was constantly expanded, so later the “Prince’s Trust Rock Gala” was founded in order to increase the willingness to donate through other celebrities such as Kate Bush and Phil Collins.
The breakdancing performance is from a 1985 “Youth Meets Industry” event where Charles dances with unemployed youth. The course was designed to help young people gain self-confidence and encourage them to believe in and pursue their dreams.
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The YouTube video was discovered by Charles actor Dominic West, who showed the footage to his colleagues, as he said in an interview with “Vanity Fairrevealed. Of Charles’ dance routine, the actor said, “He’s really got it. He knows he’s going to look ridiculous, but you could tell Charles had a certain – especially when he was younger – competitive side, especially when it came to sports. i love this moment I thought that said a lot about him.”
Source: Netflix“Vanity Fair“