Charles shuns Queen’s big day to be with Ant and Dec
WHEN I disclosed that the Queen would be celebrating the milestone of becoming our longest-reigning monarch with a dinner attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at her Scottish retreat Balmoral, there was some surprise that Prince Charles would not be joining them.
Palace sources said the heir to the throne would instead honour a long- standing commitment to spend the day, September 9, at Dumfries House, the stately home he helped rescue for the nation, in Ayrshire, 150 miles away.
So what is this long- standing commitment that is keeping Prince Charles from helping his mother toast the landmark day when she outreigns her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria?
It is, I can reveal, a date with Ant and Dec.
Charles will be joining the pint-sized presenters of I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here! to record a documentary they are making about his charity, the Prince’s Trust.
‘The Prince will be meeting Ant and Dec at Dumfries House on September 9 in connection with the documentary,’ confirmed an ITV source.
The 90-minute programme will be aired on TV next year when the Prince’s Trust celebrates its 40th anniversary.
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly are long-term ambassadors for the charity, which supports vulnerable young people, and are accompanying Charles on key engagements this year.
Charles said of Ant and Dec last year: ‘I have had the great pleasure of meeting them on many occasions over the past 15 years as avid and generous supporters of the Prince’s Trust, taking time out from their extremely busy schedules to support and inspire those young people who come to us in disadvantaged and difficult situations.
‘As role models, they have led by example, showing a work ethic and a dedication that I know is appreciated by, and encouraging to, the many courageous young men and women who come to my Trust seeking guidance in trying to make a better life for themselves and, in turn, in some cases, their families and communities.’
Indeed. But surely his own mother is quite a splendid role model, too?
Clarence House declined to comment on the Prince’s decision.