THAT’S WHAT YOU CALL A HEIR DO!
It was a bad heir day with a difference for Prince Charles as he met Aboriginal leaders in Australia yesterday.
The prince donned a white feather headdress for a traditional welcome ceremony.
Charles, a well-known champion of alternative medicine, then received a spiritual blessing from musician Djalu Gurriwiwi.
The 30-second Yidaki healing saw a didgeridoo blown close to Charles’ chest, after which he declared: “I feel better already.”
The prince met artists showing work at the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre in Gove. At one point, a woman’s phone rang just as he was about to shake her hand. “Shall we see who it is?” he joked.
Earlier, Charles, who is due to fly home today, had been given a traditional welcome when he arrived in the Northern Territory.
As he stepped off the plane, the prince was handed a woomera – a spear-throwing device – by elder Galarrwuy Yunupingu.
He went on to take part in a colourful ceremony where he was presented with a feathered string headdress and a basket.
It also emerged yesterday that Charles has privately donated thousands of pounds to the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia to fund life-saving equipment for remote communities.
The prince – patron of the UK Royal Flying Doctor Service – visited the charity’s Darwin centre last night.
PRINCE CHARLES has worn many strange ceremonial headdresses in his time. It goes with the job. And he sported the feathery Malka String in Australia’s Northern Territory with customary good grace. It would be terribly disrespectful to say he looked a proper Charlie but…