<![CDATA[Last year, The Prince of Wales was guest editor for
Country Life Magazine in honour of his 65th birthday. The Prince
takes the pen to paper again this year, writing the foreword in the
magazine discussing his worries for the English countryside.
"This time last year I was asked to be this magazine’s Guest
Editor. It was a wonderful opportunity to fill the available space
with articles by people whose contributions to the countryside I
respect and hold in such high regard. They epitomise so much that
is best about the rural areas of our remarkable country and I hoped
that reading about their work, craftsmanship, products and ideas
would inspire others, as it does me," Charles opened.
The Prince advises that the UK has lost "any real connection with
the land" and appealed to people to value the countryside or face
the possibility of losing them. "We need to find a way to put a
value on our countryside,” added Charles.
"The Prince has a deep understanding and connection with every
aspect of people working and living in rural Britain," Country Life
editor Mark Hedges expressed.
The Prince of Wales writes in his piece that "the rich, natural
tapestry that is the countryside we value so highly does not just
happen by itself. But that delicately woven tapestry is facing
unprecedented challenges.”
Charles explains that if the countryside continues to decline that
the county will have “no farmers, no beautiful landscapes with
hedgerows and stone walls; no thriving rural communities, no
villages – or village pubs; no local markets, no distinctive local
foods."
"Prince Charles is right that we need to value our countryside and
protect it for generations to come, " a spokesman for the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs commented.
Prince Charles established The Countryside Fund in 2010. Since its
inception it has awarded over £4m in grants to those who oversee
the countryside. The Fund has assisted over 80,000 people and 140
communities.
The full forward is available on The Prince of Wales's website:
A foreword by HRH The
Prince of Wales for Country Life magazine
Featured photo credit: Northern Ireland
Office via photopin cc]]>
