King Charles issued surprising advice after a man's age left him stunned during a royal engagement.
The King visited Lancashire on Monday, where he participated in a historic ceremony at Lancaster Castle. The 76-year-old monarch, who holds the title Duke of Lancaster, took part in the traditional ceremony of keys outside the castle gates.
At a reception inside the castle, Charles met 101-year-old Richard Brock, who served in the D-Day landings with the East Lancashire Regiment. The King recognised the veteran from a visit to Normandy last year.
After enquiring about Brock's age, Charles told him: "You are fantastic." As he departed, the monarch quipped: "Keep drinking the whisky."
After enquiring about Richard Brock's age, Charles told him: 'You are fantastic'.
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Brock later said: "He just told me I was amazing for my age." His son Tony, who accompanied him to the reception, added: "He mentioned a nip of whisky and said to keep taking it."
The ceremony of keys has been performed since 1851, when the keys were first presented to Queen Victoria. The King inspected a guard of honour as part of the formal proceedings.
Despite anti-monarchy protesters chanting "Not my King" outside the castle, large crowds of supporters had assembled to welcome the monarch. Some well-wishers had been waiting since 5am to catch a glimpse of the King during his Lancashire visit.
Among the crowds were residents from Laurel Bank Care Home, including 103-year-old Joan Hardcastle and her friend Barbara Graham, 93.
King Charles met Richard Brock in Lancaster today.
PA
Hardcastle brought along a framed photograph showing Charles presenting her with an MBE for voluntary services four decades ago.
"I've seen him several times since. He was fine when I met him, very chatty," Hardcastle said.
The care home group had arrived at 9am, with manager Lyndsay Scott noting: "It was Barbara's idea to come. We got here at 9am, we've had flasks of tea and croissants."
The residents were accompanied by staff members who helped them secure a prime viewing spot for the royal visit.
King Charles pictured outside Lancaster Castle.
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King Charles greeting royal fans in Lancaster.
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Following the ceremony and reception, the King met local business owners who were displaying their work within the castle grounds.
The entrepreneurs had set up showcases to demonstrate their products and services to the monarch.
The Lancashire visit came just two days after Charles made an unannounced appearance at the Royal Windsor Flower Show at Windsor Great Park on Saturday.
The King, known for his passion for gardening, attended alongside his sister-in-law, the Duchess of Edinburgh.
At the Windsor event, Charles was observed stopping to smell the flowers during his tour of the show, which celebrates gardening, nature, food and traditional crafts.
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