Charles gets mobbed during surprise visit to south-east London
‘I don’t know why I polished my shoes this morning. I’ve never had so many people stand on them’
THE Prince of Wales was mobbed by well-wishers at a street market in London, with shouts of “how’s your mum?” the day after he stepped in to read the Queen’s Speech.
The Prince was surrounded by strangers taking photographs and trying to shake his hand, in a surprise walkabout with Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor.
Hundreds of people gathered at East Street Market in Walworth, south-east London, to see the Prince during his visit to meet young people who have benefited from a job creation scheme supported by the Prince’s Trust.
Amid shouts of “God bless you, Prince Charles” and “how’s your mum?”, he made a valiant attempt at conversing, crossing roads to reward those who had showed support with a handshake and small talk .
“Thank you for stopping by,” shouted one woman as police stopped the traffic to let Charles cross the road to shake hands with the crowd.
The Prince asked one woman if she was trying to do some shopping, only to be told she was actually after a photograph with him.
One plainclothed police officer was heard saying: “I don’t know why I polished my shoes this morning. I’ve never had so many people stand on them.”
The Prince was in the area to visit a branch of JD Sports, where a sign on the shop front proclaimed: “The King of Trainers.”
“As opposed, perhaps, to the King In Training,” noted one reporter on the scene, who claimed the Prince “looked so out of place” in the shop “that one of the staff felt obliged to explain to him that what they sold was known as athleisure wear”.
The Prince was there to meet young people who have been on the £2billion Kickstart scheme, which was set up by Mr Sunak during the pandemic to stave off mass youth unemployment. It gave financial support to employers who were offering six month paid work placements to young people at risk of long-term unemployment.
“Are you now working in the store?” Charles asked one young man who has been on the scheme. “Is it all these sort of endless sports things? Do you get anything free?”
Another young man told him that it was his first job, having been there three months after completing his A-levels.
Prince Charles said: “You got them all right? It’s a lot of hard work, isn’t it? I’m so glad that I don’t have to do those exams any more.” The Prince also met Mollie Mccaldon, 23, who works at a JD Gym in Liverpool.
He said: “Do you have to keep incredibly fit yourself? Are you lifting things? Do you do it to music? Music seems to be incredibly important to get people to do things.”
Having been out of work for a year prior to taking the job, she said her coach, who she got through the Prince’s Trust, had helped her with her anxiety about going back into work.
Peter Cowgill, executive chairman of JD, said: “I love the Kickstart scheme because it really focuses on giving disadvantaged people a start in life.”