UK King Charles visits Tim Cook at Apple’s Battersea HQ
Apple CEO hosted King Charles at Apple’s Battersea HQ today, the two men got together to meet with young people who have been helped by The King’s Trust charity, which Apple supports in its work providing young people with digital skills.
Power station
The King took a tour of the company’s visually impressive headquarters building at the iconic location, and was given a swift look at Apple Intelligence, which arrived in local English in the UK this week. The King was also shown how you can make use of Apple Intelligence to turn basic sketches into detailed drawings.
Cook also joined the King to unveil a plaque outside the Power Station, while singer Raye sang a medley of Christmas songs to crowds gathered outside there, following a joint introduction of the artist by Tim Cook and the King.
NEW: King Charles has met Apple chief exec pic.twitter.com/ZePwA5qfhU
— Natasha Livingstone (@NatashaLgstone) December 12, 2024
What’s the connection between the King and Tim Cook?
It might be that Apple must be one of the bigger business partners to the King, given that some of its retail stores in the UK are situated on premises that belong to the monarch. It will also reflect join support for the King’s Trust, and it may also echo the historical connection between Buckingham Palace and Battersea, which while it was a power station provided energy to that palace.
What has Tim Cook been doing?
Apple’s CEO has had an interestingly well-connected time during his visit to London. He met with failing UK Prime Minister, Keith Starmer earlier this week, with Apple publishing a press release reprising the huge economic benefits Apple brings to the UK. He also paid visits to the company’s retail stores and local young person’s charities the company supports, including Caius House.
While on the latter visit, Cook discussed his career, Steve Jobs and evangelized Apple Intelligence.
King Charles is at the new European Apple HQ at the newly developed Battersea Power Station. If you haven’t been you should go because it is incredible.
— Prince & Princess of Wales (@TribesBritannia) December 12, 2024
“And the elegance of it is also that it’s private,” he added. “It’s very unusual in that we’ve kept the processing either on-device or in a private cloud. In the future, you’ll see more features being added and it will just keep getting better and better. Artificial intelligence is a horizontal technology in that it will touch everything in your life over time. It will change everything, because it will be like having an assistant to prepare things that it would have taken you longer to do, to free you up to spend more time, pulling that string of curiosity or creating or following your passion,” he said, as reported by David Phelan at Forbes.
A busy schedule
While in London, Cook has done even more — visited iPhone photographers, watched some gigs and met with some of the teams involved in producing Apple TV shows, including a pint (or was it Lucky Saint?) with Slow Horses star, Jack Lowden.
It’s quite a fast-paced few days for Apple’s CEO, who was in Saudi Arabia at the weekend to announce new stores there following visits to the UAE – all this I think packed on top of his visit to China in late November.
That’s quite a fun schedule and means Cook has pressed the flesh at the highest levels in recent weeks, building relationships as he goes.
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