Charles spends day at Highgrove

ARCHBISHOP of Canterbury Justin Welby has praised the ‘extraordinary courage’ of King Charles as the new monarch heads for Wales today to conclude his tour of the home nations.

He said most people would find fulfilling such duties ‘unfathomable’ while grieving a parent.

Over the past week the King has travelled some 1,500 miles in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. During a scheduled day off at his Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire yesterday he spoke to at least eight presidents and governor-generals.

He resumes his official duties today with his first visit to Wales as King, travelling to Cardiff accompanied by the Queen Consort.

The Most Reverend Welby told the BBC: ‘The courage of him doing that is extraordinary but also it demonstrates his heart of service to the people.

‘There will be loads of people... who have gone through something similar and if you said to them; “Actually you’re going to go on a tour of the United Kingdom immediately and you are going to meet thousands of people and you are expected not to show public emotion”, I think they’d say, “Don’t be ridiculous.” ’