As Prince of Wales, King Charles III had a profound effect on the way architecture was viewed, not just in the UK but around the world. By championing Classicism and traditional styles, he gave heart to architects who had felt ostracized from their profession due to the ideological dominance of the Modern Movement.
The King first entered the fray with his famous “Carbuncle” speech. Not content merely to criticize what other people were doing, Charles first persuaded the Duchy of Cornwall to create the model urban developments of Poundbury and Nansledan. Then, in the 1990s, a school for architecture and the crafts. All the aspects of the King’s personality can be seen in the intensely personal Arcadia he has created at Highgrove House in the Cotswolds, with its famous garden. A different kind of Arcadia exists in parts of Transylvania, where he owns homes amid prelapsarian beauty.
As King, Charles is no longer head of the Duchy of Cornwall and cannot freely express his opinions. It is therefore time to assess the legacy of his 41 years of engagement with architecture. This lecture will show that it is astonishingly rich.
Clive Aslet is a writer, publisher, podcaster and visiting Professor of Architecture at the University of Cambridge.
He is now the publisher of Triglyph Books, the publishing house that he founded with photographer Dylan Thomas in 2019. His most recent book is King Charles III: 40 Years of Architecture, a tribute to the King’s long-standing passion for architecture, seen in the numerous causes he has championed as well as the model development undertaken by the Duchy of Cornwall while he was Prince of Wales.
In 2025, Clive was honoured to receive the Board of Directors’ Award from the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art at the Arthur Ross Awards in New York. He divides his time between Pimlico, in central London, and Ramsgate, on the Kent coast.
THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION
Discover. Connect. Thrive. With the English-Speaking Union.
At the English-Speaking Union (ESU), we believe in the power of language to connect people across cultures and generations. More than a tool for communication, it fosters understanding, collaboration, and lifelong learning.
From students and educators to lifelong learners, the ESU offers meaningful ways to engage through workshops, speaker events, exchanges, and special programs.
Stay connected and join us as we continue to build community, exchange ideas, and strengthen global citizenship.
Join the ESU Educator Membership, offered to teachers involved in TLab, the National Shakespeare Competition, Middle & High School Debate and other ESU education programs. Benefits include:
Access to exclusive professional development workshops - including Music in Shakespeare, live via Zoom from Shakespeare’s Globe
Special curriculum resources and lesson plans
Discounted tickets to the National Shakespeare Competition
Preferred rates at the Shelburne Sonesta Hotel in NYC
The ESU invites you to join the 2027 National Shakespeare Competition, launching in August! Now in its 44th year, this performance-based program helps high school students build confidence and communication skills through the study and performance of Shakespeare’s works. Students from all five New York City boroughs and over 400 schools nationwide participated last year. Make your school one of them in 2027!
Professional development workshops are available in the US and UK for participating teachers, with exclusive opportunities for ESU educator members, including TLab UK summer scholarships.
If you have questions, please reach out to Maryellen Liotta at mliotta@esuus.org.
The ESU's 2026 Page to Stage participants have just returned from another unforgettable week of theater immersion in beautiful Stratford-upon-Avon, presented in partnership with the Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust. The ESU's merry band included teachers, theatre professionals and theatre lovers from across the country who experienced world-class performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company, plus talks and workshops at historic Hall's Croft with acclaimed authors, actors, directors, and Shakespeare scholars. Highlights included The Cherry Orchard with Sir Kenneth Branagh, the opening night preview of Game of Thrones and Midsummer Night's Dream. The trip concluded in London with a tour of the historic Lansdowne Club and more theater, including Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare's Globe. Thank you to everyone who made this inspiring week of learning, performance, and connection possible. We can't wait to do it again next year!
ESU INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION (IPSC)
Sri Lanka wins the ESU International Public Speaking Competition 2026!
Congrats to 19-year-old Omar Hazari of Sri Lanka, who delivered a powerful speech on the theme Lighting One Candle, a haiku by Japanese poet Yosa Buso at the Grand Final, held at the Royal Institution on July 17th. Theodora Todoran of Romania was awarded 2nd place and Ian Karlton Muyimba of Uganda, 3rd place. Students from 46 countries came together in London at the ESU International Headquarters at Dartmouth House and took part in cultural, educational and public speaking activities, including a double-decker London bus tour and visits to the Tate Modern and London County Hall, alongside training sessions led by experienced professionals. Congrats also to Katherine Zhou, the 16-year-old ESU US delegate from Connecticut, who shared her experience: “I am so grateful to the ESU for this incredible experience. This week changed the way I see the world. I came to London for a speech competition and I left with forty-six reminders that the world is far more connected -- and for more human than I had ever imagined." Katherine returned to DC, where she is interning this summer for Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett.
Congrats to the 80 students who spent much of July at ESU National Headquarters honing their debate & public speaking skills! Led by a team of passionate educators and nationally recognized debate coaches, the camp offered Fundamental Labs for beginners and Accelerated Labs for experienced debaters, culminating in a tournament at the end of each week. Students grew as thinkers, speakers, and teammates. They enjoyed private visits to the Morgan Library & Museum and the United Nations and lunchtime talks with members of the Mission of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the United Nations.
Made possible in part by the generosity and commitment of the Axe-Houghton Foundation. We wish all the students and instructors a wonderful rest of the summer and look forward to seeing you in the Fall at the ESU NY Debate League classes and tournaments!
Right here in New York City, a simple conversation is changing lives.
On a quiet corner of 39th Street, away from the noise of the city, and online, something remarkable happens: a volunteer sits down with someone who recently arrived in America, and for one hour, they just talk.
That's it. That's the whole program. And it's changing everything.
For over 60 years, English in Action has paired volunteers with newcomers who are working to build a new life here, one word, one sentence, one conversation at a time. No teaching degree required. No lesson plans to write. Just you, showing up, willing to listen and talk.
Because learning English isn't really about grammar drills. It's about being able to talk to your child's teacher. Order confidently at a deli. Nail a job interview. Make a friend.
As one participant put it: "It's not just about learning the language — it's about connecting with others and building confidence each week."
That confidence doesn't come from a textbook. It comes from you.
Volunteers walk away with something too: a weekly reminder of why they became a part of something bigger than themselves, to meet people whose stories they'd never otherwise hear, to prove that even in the busiest city in the world, there's still time to sit down and really see another person.
One hour a week. One conversation at a time. One city, made a little more welcoming.
As part of ESU's series honoring America's 250th anniversary, this free online Happy Hour spotlights Connecticut's surprising Revolutionary War contributions. Though largely agricultural and politically quiet before the war, Connecticut became known as "The Provisions State" for supplying massive quantities of food, clothing, and weapons to Washington's army — and sent the second-highest number of soldiers of any colony. Governor Jonathan Trumbull, the only colonial governor to openly back the rebellion from day one, became such a trusted ally that Washington nicknamed him "Brother Jonathan."
Guest speaker Judge Edward Krumeich will share lesser-known stories of Connecticut's soldiers, spies, and resistance efforts.
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