King Charles spoke about the vital role played by rural communities as he attended an auction mart in Lancashire on Monday.
The monarch visited Clitheroe Auction Mart, where he was given a tour of the livestock area on a non-market day. He took the time to speak with local farmers who had brought their sheep and cattle.
The King was then shown around the rural business centre where farmers are able to access land agents, financial advisers, and lawyers.
He unveiled a plaque in the auction ring to mark the occasion, telling those who gathered: “I promise you I know only too well how vital the rural sector and the farming sector is to this country.
King Charles spoke with livestock farmers and gave a speech on the importance of local farming
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“Having started the Countryside Fund nearly 20 years ago, I hope that is at least contributing to some degree to the welfare and I hope also the adaptability of farmers to the endless complications and challenges you have to meet.
“For me I do have some appreciation of what you put up with.
“Thank God is all I can say for marts like this and all the people associated with it like the field nurses and everybody else.
“So I can only hope you have as successful a coming season as possible, weather permitting, climate change permitting and anything else. It is remarkable how you manage.“
In the auction ring, Charles met Fell pony Pearl. The horse is related on her sire’s side to Emma, the black Fell pony who made an appearance at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, where she wore the Queen’s sheepskin saddle cover and the silk headscarf she wore whilst riding.
Pearl was bred by farmers Andrew Thorpe, 64, and Michelle Thorpe, 63, who gave her as a wedding present to their nephew Ben, 39, when he married his wife Eleanor, 32.
King Charles met Pearl, the horse who appeared at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral and carried her the silk headscarf she wore whilst riding
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Ben Thorpe said: She is part of the family, like having a dog.”
Upon reaching Clitheroe station for the visit, the King was heckled by a man who shouted: “How long have you known about Andrew?”, a comment that overshadowed the purpose behind the visit.
The man’s comment was met with boos from fellow onlookers.
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Field Nurses founder member Richard Schofield explained to Charles why the charity was founded 10 years ago.
He said: “We have a nurse in an auction mart every week. You don’t need an appointment. You just go and see them.
“I was doing mobile sheep dipping and sheep shearing, and I was going on a farm and I’m getting all these problems.
King Charles was heckled by a man in the crowd upon his arrival to Clitheroe, most of the
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“So we thought what if we could put someone in place that could help and give advice, and signpost them to relative people and channel them to more definite places.
“There are farmers that come into the auction and go out with an ambulance. The nurse will pick up a situation and say ‘look, I don’t want you to go home. I want you to go straight to hospital’. And that has happened on more than one occasion.
“The suicide rate in farming is higher than other professions in the country.”
It comes after the monarch was heckled again over his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s association with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
As he met well-wishers at Clitheroe train station, a man shouted at Charles: “How long have you know about Andrew and Epstein?”
Most of the crowd booed in response while Charles appeared to not react.
The royal family remains engulfed in scandal following the latest tranche of Epstein documents being released by the US Department of Justice last month, resulting in a strong of allegations against Andrew.
The latest allegation is that Andrew shared confidential reports of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore in his role as the UK’s trade envoy.
The former duke denies any wrongdoing and his name being named in the files does not suggest any wrongdoing.
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