Shropshire Star

Prince Charles is all smiles at Royal Welsh Show

New grandfather Prince Charles couldn't stop smiling as he was welcomed with a cry of congratulations at the Royal Welsh Show in Mid Wales – just hours before the name of his new grandson was announced.

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The Prince of Wales receives a card for his newly arrived grandson from Amanda Winney, from Leominster

The Prince was greeted with shouts of "congratulations grandad" by a number of wellwishers in the crowd at the Builth Wells showground yesterday, just before the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge finally revealed the name of their new baby son – George Alexander Louis.

During his visit to the agricultural show with the Duchess of Cornwall, the prince was asked by Janet Gethin, of Llanidloes: "So you're a taid now?". He replied: "Yes I am", obviously knowing the word meant grandad in Welsh.

Other showgoers also offered their best wishes including Philip Moyle, of Llanbrynmair, who said: "I congratulated him on becoming a grandfather and told him to make sure he looks after the little boy, to which he replied 'I will'."

While Powys County Council worker Nicola Williams, of Cilmeri, near Builth Wells, cheekily asked Charles to pose for a photograph with her daughter Ffion, 13, son Alex, nine, and sister-in-law, Ionwen Davies.

The Prince of Wales also became a princely postman when he agreed to deliver a wellwisher's card and a £10 note to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Jubilant royal fan Amanda Winney, 49, of Leominster, popped the cash into the card in the hope the royal couple splash out on a cuddly toy for their new son.

Earlier she weaved her way through the throng at the hugely popular show in Builth Wells to take pole position in the crowd as the Prince passed by.

She then attracted the Prince' attention with a beaming smile as she waved the card in his direction and shouted "congratulations".

The Prince was on his way to the annual agricultural event's main show ring after being shown some prize winning cattle.

But he leaned in and spoke to Mrs Winney, who had travelled up from Leominster for the day, talking with her briefly and leaving with the card.

"He took the card, it's absolutely fantastic," an ecstatic Mrs Winney said. "It's amazing to meet him. He shouldn't really be here what with the new baby, but duty calls in his case. But he took the card and said he will pass it on, which is fantastic."

She said the card, inside a pale blue envelope, depicted a baby in a cradle on the front. A crisp new £10 note was slipped inside.

At the start of a speech to the Prince's Countryside Fund, Prince Charles, wearing a cream coloured suit, said: "For me, it's particularly special to be here at the Royal Welsh. I discovered the other day that this is my seventh visit – can you believe – in very nearly 50 years. That's probably why I've become a grandfather."

Prince Charles and Camilla, who looked stylish in a lavender dress and a single strand of pearls around her neck, chatted to a number of visitors as they made their way around the 176-acre showground.

Five-year-old Amy Hardy, from Bronllys, near Brecon, presented Prince Charles with a painting of potato prints.

Shân Legge-Bourke, the Lord Lieutenant of Powys and whose daughter, Tiggy, was nanny to Prince William and Prince Harry as they were growing up, was in the grandstand as the future of King of England entered the main ring.

Prince Charles presents an award to Dilwyn Thomas
Pince Charles with William Hanks from the show
Prince Charles with David Lewis from the show
Visitors at The Royal Welsh Show
Charles and Camilla greet visitors
Prince Charles and Camilla at The Royal Welsh Show
The Prince of Wales receives a card for his newly arrived grandson from Amanda Winney, from Leominster

She described the new arrival in the Royal family as "great news".

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