4 days ago
King Charles gives 101-year-old veteran some cheeky life advice on visit to Lancaster Castle
The King has praised a 101-year-old veteran as 'amazing' and told him to keep drinking whisky during a visit to Lancashire.
Charles met Richard Brock, who served in the D-Day landings, at the Ceremony of the Keys at Lancaster Castle on Monday and remembered him from a visit to Normandy last year.
After asking Richard's age, the King said: 'You are fantastic,' before cheekily adding 'keep drinking the whisky' as he left.
Richard, who served with the East Lancashire Regiment, said: 'He just told me I was amazing for my age.'
His son Tony Brock, who attended the reception with him, said: 'He mentioned a nip of whisky and said to keep taking it.'
Charles was dressed in a dove grey suit with a cherry-toned patterned tie and a matching kerchief in his breast pocket.
The monarch arrived at the castle shortly before 11am and was greeted by crowds of well-wishers, some who had been waiting since 5am, waving Union flags.
Anti-monarchy protesters were also awaiting his arrival and could be heard chanting 'Not my king' as he left his vehicle.
The group had a yellow banner which said 'Abolish the Monarchy' and held signs saying 'Not my King' and 'Ditch the Duchies'.
Among those keen to see the King were friends Joan Hardcastle, 103, and Barbara Graham, 93, who had come with staff and two other residents from Laurel Bank Care Home.
Joan held a framed photograph of Charles presenting her with her MBE for voluntary services 40 years ago.
She said: 'I've seen him several times since. He was fine when I met him, very chatty.'
Care home manager Lyndsay Scott said: 'It was Barbara's idea to come. We got here at 9am, we had flasks of tea and croissants.'
Charles took part in a Ceremony of Keys outside the castle, a tradition which dates back to 1851 when the keys were presented to Queen Victoria and which Queen Elizabeth II participated in in 2015.
Once inside the grounds of the castle, which was a prison until 2011, the King met local business owners who were showcasing their work.
He expressed his love of cheese, telling Gillian Hale, of Butlers' Farmhouse Cheeses, that he loved sheep's cheese on a digestive biscuit.
He smelled some of the cheeses she had on display but did not taste any.
She said: 'We're going to send some to him later in a goody bag. He was so gracious.'
The King was also gifted a neck tie and some gloves for the Queen from Northern Yarn.
Business owner Kate Makin said: 'He was really interested in the regenerative farming and the local wools we use.'
Lancashire County Council leader Stephen Atkinson, who was elected last month when Reform UK took control of the authority, spoke to the King about his new role.
Stephen said: 'He asked about my business and how I'm managing now, whether my job is full time.'
A Fijian choir formed from the First Battalion of The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment - made up of serving Fijian Kingsmen, veterans and their family members - performed for the King, who told them he was sad not to have been able to visit the country last year.
He said: 'They wouldn't let me go, I was desperate to go there.'
The royal visit comes days after the King was photographed warmly embracing his sister in law Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh as the two visited the Royal Windsor Flower Show on Saturday.
The annual event, which is which is billed as 'a joyful one-day celebration of gardening, nature, food and traditional crafts' was inspired by an idea from his book.
And the monarch - a keen gardener - certainly seemed to be enjoying his day out, as he was snapped stopping to smell the flowers during his visit to the show.
The King's Foundation explains Charles's philosophy of harmony is aimed at understanding 'the balance, order and relationships between ourselves and the natural world' to 'create a more sustainable future'.
It adds: 'The Harmony philosophy sees everything in nature as interconnected, including ourselves.
'This means taking a holistic approach to the challenges facing our planet, and looking to solve these challenges by working with nature, rather than against her.'
