Prince leaves a pregnant pause in visit to education centre
PRINCE Charles kept his lips sealed about the prospect of becoming a grandfather for the second time during a visit to a woodland education centre.
The Duke of Rothesay made the trip to Cumnock, East Ayrshire, to open the new space at Dumfries House Estate, a place with which he has had a long association.
His visit to Scotland came as royal watchers around the world waited for news from London of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s second child. William and Kate’s baby is due any day.
But Prince Charles made no mention of the forthcoming addition to the family when he officially opened the new Morphy Richards Engineering education centre at the estate and unveiled a commemorative plaque.
The centre, which has both an indoors and an outdoors space, works to boost learning among primary and early secondary students in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
One of a number of different educational resources on the campus, it runs programmes for schools across Ayrshire and further afield, and offers hands-on activities linked to the subjects.
The Prince toured the centre, and the outdoor activity space linked to it, and chatted to pupils and teachers taking part in the activities on offer.
Outdoor instructor Duncan Chan, 29, who works on the estate, said: “All the children seemed ecstatic to see him.”
Mary Star Leishman, 10, of New Cumnock Primary, met Charles after she had been playing at the water feature. She said: “He kind of laughed with me because I was soaking. He was asking what we were doing.”