King Charles had an udderly hilarious run-in with a cow in the gardens of Clarence House during a reception for the King Charles III Charitable Fund on Tuesday morning.
The monarch, 76, laughed as Poppy, a prize-winning heritage cow from a Duchy farm in Sussex, knocked over a small table and stomped into a low hedge. Moments later, as the King turned to speak to other guests, Poppy was caught urinating on the pathway.
Always one to find the humour in these situations, Charles was in good spirits as Poppy’s handler, Leighton Snelgrove, 26, told him, “Sorry about your garden.”
Turning around, the King, who shielded his eyes from the autumn sunshine with a pair of brown sunglasses, smiled as he joked to the other guests: “Don’t push her back into my boxed hedge.”
The King held a reception to mark 35 years since establishing Duchy Originals, which supports sustainable farming and provides a market for organic goods from small local farmers.
The party also celebrated the £50 million raised from sales, which has been donated to the King Charles III Charitable Fund (KCCF) and shared with more than 1,000 charities since the Duchy partnered with Waitrose in 2009.
Speaking afterwards, Poppy’s handler, Mr Snelgrove of Black Ven Farm, Uckfield, East Sussex, said: “She (Poppy) was amazing and thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was great to talk to him about farming. I said thank you for everything you do for young farmers. The King has been a huge support and enthusiasm to young farmers.”
Asked about Poppy’s run-in with the hedges, Leighton said: “I didn’t want footprints over his lawn. He said it’s fine, don’t worry about it. He’s an inspiration to younger generations.”
James Bailey, Waitrose Executive Director, delivered a speech at the event and stated that the Duchy Organics initiative achieves an “enormous amount of good.”
He said the Duchy brand will “continue to fulfil the organic wish” and hailed the charity legacy as “your success,” adding it was an “honour to share it with you”.
King Charles finished the engagement by cutting a Waitrose fruit cake, before enthusiastically brandishing the knife in the air, telling his guests: “I hope you enjoy the cake!”
