King Charles and Queen Camilla got the giggles today as they joined in the celebrations to mark a quarter of a century of Cornwall’s famous Eden Project
The King poured himself a pint and tussled over a sword to cut a celebratory cake to mark 25 years of the Eden Project. On a day trip to Cornwall, the King and Queen congratulated the team behind the ecological project and tried a sample of a new low alcohol IPA brewed in the county.
During a visit to the Grade II listed Market House in St Austell town centre, the King had a go at pulling a pint of the alcohol-free Proper Job 0.5% ale. At the St Austell Brewery stand, which will be celebrating its 175th anniversary next year, the KIng was handed a pint glass and pulled the handle down.
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“It’s low alcohol, Sir, so I hope you enjoy it.” a dignitary said, before the King said: “Well I don’t know,” while grimacing as he pulled. Pointing at the photographs and journalists he raised an eyebrow and said: “It’s the same old story” and gamely took another sip. “Very good,” he said enthusiastically, “What’s the secret?” before looking cheekily at the media and saying of his pint: “I’ll bequeath it to you.”
Charles reminisced on his previous visits to the Eden Project, which he has visited a number of times, saying: “I remember when I first came here there was nothing – amazing how it’s developed and grown.”
There was laughter when they first arrived at the landmark Millennium initiative that transformed a clay pit with massive geodesic biomes featuring plant life from around the world to highlight humanity’s reliance on nature.
The King’s state limousine made a wrong turn on the sprawling site and disappeared before doubling back, and Charles quipped as he stepped from the vehicle: “Now you see us, now you don’t.”
Charles and Camilla got a fit of the giggles as they tussled over a sword while trying to cut a celebratory cake. The couple were presented with the stunningly decorated confection, before they got into the spirit of the celebrations by taking up a sword offered by the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Edward Bolitho, to cut a cake to mark the occasion.
Charles laughingly placed his hands on the blade, as they tried to slice a street party-themed Victoria sponge after touring parts of the Cornish ecological centre that opened on March 17, 2001.
The chortling king stepped back, leaving his wife still holding the sword and trying to pull it out, Charles playfully motioning a shoving gesture. When she eventually managed to drag it out, he jumped comically in the air, pointed playfully at the Lord Lieutenant and joked: “Now lick it!”
During the visit the couple launched The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out, a national celebration of community taking place on June 5-8, and met volunteers and local community and charity groups from across the county enjoying lunch.
Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project, said later of the attraction’s history: “Once we started talking to people, I never doubted we’d build it. I never doubted either that it would be successful, not for any reason of arrogance… if you love something and you’re not a freak, there will be millions of people who feel the same way.
“”The world has changed since we built Eden. Everybody now knows about climate change. Everybody knows about the impact of all the bad things on the world.
“But at the same time, we’ve got a brilliant generation of young people all over the world coming through who deserve us oldsters to grow up and stop being depressed about it and to get excited that the future still remains us.
“That’s why I’m excited that we’ve done 25 years, and now we’re going to year one of the next 25.” The couple had arrived at the world-famous eco project, known for its giant biomes, to a performance by the Luxulyan School choir, before trying their hand at a new ‘marble run’ that has been built to mark its silver anniversary.
It has been created for visitors from more than 100 metres of handcrafted wooden track. The King and Queen were each given a giant wooden marble made from ash trees recently felled by Storm Goretti – which they were later given as gifts to take home – to run down the track. “It’s one way to lose your marbles,” Charles joked.
Camilla spoke about the importance of volunteering to one table, and chatted about her Queen’s Reading Room book club with another where someone asked her whether she had read Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader, a fictional book about the late Queen Elizabeth. “I have and thought it was brilliant,” she said.
Arriving at the Holy Trinity Church to large, cheering crowds, Camilla met with staff and volunteers from the St Austell Library and listened to a sweet performance from pupils from Mount Charles primary school.
Meanwhile the King met with Cornish community groups and representatives from Young People Cornwall, as well as faith groups. He admired a kippah in eye-catching Cornish tartan worn by Adam Feldman of Kehillat Kernow, the Jewish community of Cornwall, saying: “I am so encouraged to hear how you all get together if I may say so,” he said to Mr Feldman as he described the multi-faith work done in the region.’ He added, beaming: “That Cornish tartan, it is very smart if I may say so.”
