King Charles Reveals His Surprising Music Taste in New Playlist, Featuring Artists Like Beyoncé, Bob Marley and Kylie Minogue

Mar. 15, 2025

King Charles at his desk as he curates the ‘The King’s Music Room’ show for Apple Music on March 10.Photo:The King’s Music Room - Courtesy of Apple Music

The King’s Music Room - Courtesy of Apple Music

King Charlesis revealing his music favorites.

The King, 76, shows off a somewhat eclectic mix of musical go-tos inThe King’s Music Room,a show curated forApple Music, that premieres on Mar. 10.

Through his choices, the royal praises artists such asBeyoncéandKylie Minoguefor their support of his King’s Trust (formerly the Prince’s Trust), and remembers his travels to the Caribbean, where he metBob Marleyand his widowRita Marley. Charles also recalls seeingRayeperform at the Apple HQ in Battersea in December. (PEOPLE understands he is now learning more about the artist and playing her music.)

Here, read more about Charles' music loves, as discussed inThe King’s Music Room.

King Charles, when he was Prince of Wales, enjoying a dance in Mexico, in Nov. 2014.Chris Jackson/Getty

Chris Jackson/Getty

Bob Marley & The Wailers — “Could You Be Loved”

Charles praises Marley’s “marvelous, infectious energy, but also his deep sincerity, and his profound concern for his community."

“I always recall his words: ‘The people have a voice inside of them, ' " he adds.

Millie Small – “My Boy Lollipop”

The Jamaican-born singer was one of those who came to the U.K. as part of the Windrush Generation of the late 1940s, and “whose gifts have so greatly enriched our country,” the King says.

Kylie Minogue’s version of “The Loco-Motion”

This song, Charles says, “is music for dancing.”

“Again, it has that infectious energy which makes it, I find, incredibly hard to sit still,” he adds. “There is such an irresistibly joyous feeling to that song.”

Al Bowlly – “The Very Thought Of You”

The track is a song from the 1920s-1930s era that “reminds” Charles “of my much-loved grandmother, because she used to play these sorts of music a lot.”

The royal adds that the tune “also never fails to lift my spirits.”

Grace Jones in Paris, France in Mar. 2024.Pierre Suu/Getty

Pierre Suu/Getty

Grace Jones – “La Vie En Rose”

Charles says he and his wife,Queen Camilla, have known Jones “for some time.”

“I had the great pleasure of seeing recently at a reception at the St. James’s Palace,” he continues, then asking: “Is it possible to improve on such a classic song?”

“Love Me Again” — Raye

“She is a great ambassador for British music,” Charles says of the artist.

Daddy Lumba – “Mpempem Do Me”

With a connection to Ghana, which Charles last visited in 2018, he says, “I found myself dancing along” to this track.

Davido – “KANTE” (feat. Fave)

The King points out that this song “features lyrics in pidgin, which I love in all its forms, and in which I attempted to make a speech when I last visited Nigeria.”

He adds, “I understand that, thanks to Afrobeats, it is becoming ever more popular around the world.”

Miriam Makeba – “The Click Song”

Highlighting how the track is in the Xhosa language, Charles quips, “I shan’t try too much to pronounce the title, as it requires a great deal of practice!”

Holland is another British musician the royal has known for years, alongside the “unstoppable phenomenon” of soul singer Turner.

Anoushka Shankar – “Indian Summer”

Charles says he likes the sitar playing in the song for being “deeply redolent of the ancient culture of India.”

Siti Nurhaliza – “Anta Permana”

The royal celebrates how the Malaysian artist sings “about love that is stronger than time.”

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa – “E Te Iwi E (Call To The People)”

The song holds special meaning to Charles, as the New Zealand opera great performed it at his wedding to the latePrincess Diana.

Michael Bublé – “Haven’t Met You Yet”

Bublé — whorecently dinedwith Charles' sonPrince HarryandMeghan Marklein Vancouver — is Charles’ pick to represent Commonwealth country Canada on the list.

Arrow – “Hot, Hot, Hot”

From Monserrat, the King says of the title: “When I last visited the island, it certainly was.”

The then Prince Charles meets Beyonce Knowles during the interval at the Royal Albert Hall, London, Oct. 2003.AP Photo/Arthur Edwards/pool

AP Photo/Arthur Edwards/pool

Beyoncé – “Crazy In Love” (feat. Jay-Z)

Charles thanks the musician for her work helping support the Prince’s, and now, the King’s Trust, before congratulating Beyoncé for winning her first album of the year award at the 2025 Grammys last month.

Diana Ross – “Upside Down”

The song, Charles says, is one of his “particular favorites."

“When I was much younger, it was absolutely impossible not to get up and dance when it was played," he further explains. “So, I wonder if I can still just manage it?”

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Charles is head of the Commonwealth, a loose coalition of 56 countries — including Australia, Canada, India and Kenya — that have strong ties to the U.K. and span much of the world.

On Mar. 10, he will lead the royal family, includingPrince WilliamandKate Middleton, during a service at Westminster Abbey.

“This seemed such an interesting and innovative way to celebrate this year’s Commonwealth Day,” Charles says in the show.

The King’s Music Roomis now available to watch for free, or view anytime on demand with an Apple Music subscription, onApple Music 1.

Additional radio broadcasts will be available to stream for free onApple Music 1andApple Music Hitson March 10 and March 11.

source: people.com