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The King’s Trust, the charity established by King Charles III five decades ago, held its annual Global Gala at Christie’s New York last night, as ELLE Decor exclusively reported prior to the event. Both King Charles and Queen Camilla made an appearance at the storied British auction house for the evening’s first event, the King’s Trust Greater Together Reception. A gala dinner and auction took place after the reception in the James Christie Room.
The royal couple headed to New York the day after attending a lavish state dinner at the White House as guests of honor. It’s all part of their first visit to the United States since Charles ascended the throne in 2022. On Wednesday evening, they arrived at Christie’s Rockefeller Center headquarters around 5:30 p.m. There, they greeted Lionel Richie, Edward Enninful, and Charlotte Tilbury, all of whom serve as King’s Trust Global Ambassadors, as well as famous attendees like Anna Wintour, Martha Stewart, and Karlie Kloss.
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Edward Enninful, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Charlotte Tilbury, and Lionel Richie attend the Greater Together Reception at Christie’s, on April 29, 2026 in New York City.
At the event, Charles and Camilla made their way past the red carpet and through the lobby and gallery spaces, which are currently staged with masterpieces from the auction house’s upcoming May sales. Highlights include a Pierre-Auguste Renoir portrait, estimated between $25 million and $30 million, from the collection of Lorinda Payson de Roulet. The galleries also featured treasures from the collections of Agnes Gund and Si Newhouse, which will also hit the block next month for Spring Marquee Week.
During the visit, the King and Queen apparently took a liking to the auction house’s new oak rostrum, conceived by iPhone designer Jony Ive, who also created the coronation logo when Charles ascended the throne.
Later, the King gave remarks about the King’s Trust, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Since its inception, the charity (originally known as the Prince’s Trust) has reached over 1.5 million young people in 24 countries to develop key leadership and employment skills meant to help them have more ownership over their futures and build confidence.
While in New York, the couple also visited the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan before heading to separate engagements. Camilla met up with Sarah Jessica Parker at the New York Public Library, while Charles met with the nonprofit group Harlem Grown.
Geoffrey Montes is an associate editor at ELLE Decor with a serious love for all things real estate and design. Before that, he worked at Architectural Digest, Galerie, and Preservation magazines, covering everything from jaw-dropping listings to world-famous architects and design events like Salone del Mobile and Homo Faber.