THE PRINCE OF WALES and THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL

Fun in store during a tour of Wales

Wine, music and wildflower meadows were on the agenda when the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall enjoyed a five-day tour of Wales last week.

It began in Deeside, Flintshire, where Prince Charles, 72, paid a return visit to the headquarters of frozen food retailer Iceland, 34 years after he opened it, before donning a white coat to visit Wockhardt UK in Wrexham to see for himself the key work it is doing producing around 150,000 vials of the Covid-19 Oxford/ AstraZeneca vaccine every day.

He discovered more about Wales’s religious heritage later that day at the medieval pilgrimage site St Winefride’s Well in Holywell, where he crouched down to touch the waters, which are said to have healing properties.

Day two saw the royal indulge his love for both the environment and cars during a visit to the eco-vehicle firm Riversimple in Llandrindod Wells. Charles was given the chance to test-drive its hydrogen-powered Rasa car, which as well as being green in colour, is environmentally friendly, too, emitting only pure water vapour and having a range of 300 miles.

Also indulging her passions, the literatureloving Duchess, 73, was in her element visiting independent bookshops in Hay-on

From a trip down memory lane to playing boules in a

pub car park, there was

fun in store for the couple

Wye. “I can’t imagine anything nicer than being in a bookshop and studying all these books,” she told Derek Addyman, the owner of Addyman Books.

Continuing the literature theme, Charles welcomed Poet Laureate Simon Armitage to his Welsh home Llwynywermod, in Myddfai, showing him around the stunning wildflower meadow.

MUSIC TO THEIR EARS

The following day, the royal couple travelled to the Welsh capital C a r d i f f , where t h e y were entertained by performances from students at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Prince’s official harpist, Alis Huws, a graduate of the college.

More music followed in Llantrisant, where the royal couple received a warm welcome at the restored medieval Llantrisant Guildhall Heritage Centre, with local schoolchildren greeting their guests with a song.

Splitting up, the Prince then opened the new Y Bwthyn palliative care unit at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Pontyclun in his role as patron of Macmillan Cancer Support, which runs the unit and helped fund its development.

And Camilla declared the British wine industry was “giving the French a run for its money” on a visit to Llanerch Vineyard.

After sampling a “fantastic” glass of its award- winning sparkling Cariad blush, she told owner Ryan Davies: “You should be very proud of yourself.”

Charles’s tour continued across Pembrokeshire the next day, when he marked the centenary of the Church in Wales with a service at St Davids Cathedral in St Davids, the UK’s smallest city. He then met the congregation at St Brynach’s church at Nevern and the church groups and youth organisations who use St Martin of Tours church in Haverfordwest.

On his last day in Wales, Charles showed off his sporting skills, starting on the pitch at Glamorgan Cricket Club in Cardiff as it celebrated its centenary as a firstclass county club.

However, the Prince, who has been patron of the club since 1986, missed bowler Hannaa Zaman’s first delivery, telling the crowd: “I need to get my eye in,” before hitting the

second to cheers and applause. Next, he displayed his penalty-taking skills on a visit to The Prince’s Trust Cymru, joking after successfully hitting the back of the net: “It takes a hell of a lot of practice.”

ROYAL BARMAN

No doubt thirsty after so much sport, the Prince turned barman to pull a pint of Butty Bach beer at the Ponthir House Inn near Newport, much to landlord Barrie Walden’s delight. “We’re shortstaffed at the moment,” he said.

Taking a sip, Charles declared it “very good”, before raising his glass to wish the staff and regulars: “Good luck.”

During lockdown, Barrie set up a village shop in the car park to supply essentials to villagers unable to get to the nearest grocery stores several miles away. It has since become a community hub, with the locals persuading the Prince to join them in a game of boules there.

Giggling as he crouched to roll his ball towards the jack, he asked: “Do I have to get right down to do this?” before watching it trickle slowly away and declaring: “That’s a test one!”

He added: “Oh! You can chuck it up in the air? There you go. I knew I shouldn’t have had the Butty Bach.”

Still laughing as he walked away, he said with a shrug: “It’s all absolute balls to me!”

Charles also told the locals he would be watching England in the Euros final and said: “It would be marvellous if they won.”

‘We are short-staffed at the moment’

Literature lover the Duchess loses herself among the books exploring the stores in Hay-on-Wye (left) and Prince Charles gives his verdict after test-driving a hydrogen-powered car in Llandrindod Wells (below)

The Prince tours an Iceland supermarket with managing director Richard Walker, before meeting the Rt Rev. Peter Brignall, Bishop of Wrexham, and Father Justin Karakadu, together with sisters from the Bridgettine Order (inset left), at St Winefride’s Well (left)

Charles joins Iceland founder Sir Malcolm Walker (above right) to revisit the cold store he opened 34 years ago (above left), while his love of poetry gets an outing the following day chatting to Poet Laureate Simon Armitage at Llwynywermod, the royal couple’s home in Wales (below)

The Duchess holds a vine leaf during her visit to Llanerch Vineyard Camilla inspects the intricate costumes while meeting students at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff Prince Charles admires the Sovereign’s Stall at St Davids Cathedral as he celebrates the centenary of the Church in Wales

Landlord Barrie Walden is impressed by Charles’s pintpulling skills as the royal tries out the Butty Bach at the Ponthir House Inn near Newport, which is supported by his Pub is The Hub initiative, helping publicans provide service for their communities

Showing off his ball control, Charles hits the back of the net during a visit to the Cardiff base of The Prince’s Trust (below, far left), joins the locals at the pub for a game of boules (below left) and is bowled over at Glamorgan County Cricket Club in Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens (below)