SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

DONATE NOW
British RoyalsFeaturesKing Charles III

Six snapshots of Prince Charles during his two day visit to Northumberland

By
14th September 2018

One royal, two days, six snapshots. The Prince of Wales has spent the past forty eight hours in Northumberland and his packed itinerary has included engagements linked to conservation, religion and community support. It’s been busy and bursting with fun so here are six snapshots of Prince Charles during his royal visit to Northumberland.

  1. Park Life

All royal trips need a spot of plaque unveiling and Prince Charles got into the swing of things early on as his first stop, on September 12th 2018, saw him visit Northumberland National Park where he officially opened The Sill, the National Discovery Centre set amidst the greenspace.

Charles was welcomed by children from St. Agnes Primary School and met young people involved with the Prince’s Trust as well as carrying out his unveiling duties with a flourish.

  1. Hotfoot to Hexham

Next on the agenda was a visit to Hexham Farmers’ Market where everything on sale has been produced within a fifty mile radius. It was no wonder the stalls appealed to the eco conscious prince who stopped off for some samples and spoke to local business owners.

The future Head of the Church of England also popped into one of the oldest seats of Christianity in England, Hexham Abbey. There’s been a church on the site since 674AD and Prince Charles saw some of the building’s medieval treasures during his visit.

  1. The gardening prince

We all know how keen Prince Charles is on gardening and this royal visit included an engagement at the birthplace of one of the most famous landscape artists of them all, Capability Brown.

During a stop at Kirkharle, the prince met school children who helped plant over 2,000 wildflower bulbs to keep the gardens blooming as well as some of the grown ups behind its lake walk.

  1. Mussel building

The Prince of Wales has been patron of the organization, Salmon and Trout Conservation, for fifteen years and as day one in Northumberland moved towards its close, he popped in to the Kielder Salmon Centre which breeds around 360,000 of the fish every year for release into local waters.

Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:’ZnocVWSQRGhusJtGZWAxwQ’,sig:’fysE7NkVU9N1uTI92BQviJ0aTJP78Aycu37c2J0tYPQ=’,w:’594px’,h:’396px’,items:’1032280326′,caption: true ,tld:’co.uk’,is360: false })});//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js

Charles also heard about the centre’s work to save the pearl mussel, now on the endangered list and at higher risk than the giant panda.

  1. Gin in the morning

Day two started on the moors of Northumberland as the Prince of Wales visited the Hepple Gin company which also runs a sustainable juniper programme.

Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:’_LdctGM_SGFNoovvjKKEaw’,sig:’zy6su-rweJfoQXH9TF338ptn72AG84o6io8dpHuFeOA=’,w:’594px’,h:’408px’,items:’1036072334′,caption: true ,tld:’co.uk’,is360: false })});//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js

Cue the prince hiking over gates, planting juniper trees, inspecting distillation processes and then rounding the morning off with a small gin. Well, it would be rude not to.

  1. Time for Tea

Prince Charles had been accompanied by the Duchess of Northumberland, Lord Lieutentant of the county, for much of his visit and he ended his tour at her family seat, Alnwick Castle. The prince visited the Elderberries, a centre set up at Alnwick to help older people tackle loneliness.

Then it was time for tea as Prince Charles attended a garden party hosted by the duchess to recognize the contribution made by carers and volunteers across Northumberland. A right royal ending for a bright and breezy two day tour.

Share:
About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.