The King was “flabbergasted” by magician Steven Frayne, who turned newspaper into £20 notes, during a royal visit to celebrate Bradford’s status as the UK City of Culture.
Bradford-born Frayne impressed Charles at the start of his tour of the Yorkshire city where he recognised another famous son, painter David Hockney, while the Queen visited the nearby home of the Bronte sisters.
The magic maestro, formerly known as Dynamo, showed the King new tricks he had been working on like an “athlete” training, when Charles met a group supported by his King’s Trust at a refurbished venue which will play a key role during Bradford’s cultural year.
He told the King he had just finished a run of 50 shows and was making a TV programme and joked “you should come on it, we’ve got to tell our story, we go way back”.
The entertainer, whose big break came after he was awarded a grant by Charles’ trust, added: “I wouldn’t be doing magic today without the support you gave me.”
The King replied: “But it was your determination – you studied.”
He produced a handful of note-sized pieces of paper and told the King “I’ve got some newspaper clippings but I’ve been trying to take any bad news and turn it into good news”, and as he tapped the paper pile it turned into £20 notes and Charles held the money to verify it.
The classic “pick a card” trick with a twist followed and Charles’ apt selection of “King of Hearts” became the new name for a string of wifi hotspots in the Bradford Live venue when the King named his card.
Charles burst into laughter and Frayne said later: “I’ve been fortunate to visit him in the royal estate, but it’s nice to bring him back to my hood, to my estate – from council estate to royal estate.
“He’s created an opportunity for someone (who felt) I’m invisible, there was no hope. It’s almost come full circle as now he’s back in Bradford, 2025 we’re the capital of culture and he’s once again inspiring hope and he’s inspiring his own type of magic in all these incredible people.”
Asked about the King’s reaction to the magic, the entertainer replied: “He just said it was absolutely phenomenal and a lot of amazing words that made my magic sound incredible, he said keep going, and said he was flabbergasted.”
