King appears on BBC Christmas special of Countryfile filmed at Highgrove
Charles joked about needing an ‘extra-strong tree’ after feeling the weight of a Christmas tree bauble made out of wood by a student.
The King has appeared on a BBC Christmas special of Countryfile which was filmed at his Highgrove home.
The festive programme showcased the work of The King’s Foundation’s education programmes.
Countryfile hosts Matt Baker, Margherita Taylor and Adam Henson met staff from Charles’s charity for the programme while the royal residence was transformed into a festive wonderland.
Baker talked to Highgrove’s head gardener Grainne Ring and helped to harvest Charles’s Brussels sprouts.
Mr Windebank said: “His majesty does enjoy his sprouts, he’s quite protective of them in the garden.”
The Countryfile Christmas At Highgrove episode also featured Henson meeting Henry-James Gay, who manages the King’s Duchy Home Farm.
Mr Gay said Charles walks around the farm quite regularly, and described his attention to detail as “second to none”.
Constantine Innemee, the Highgrove director of The King’s Foundation, told Countryfile that everything that can be seen in the gardens is something Charles created.
“And everything that you see when you’re walking through the gardens is something that he created. It came out of his mind. It was his vision. And I think that sort of template, a blank slate, to be able to start, was something that was quite appealing.”
Mr Innemee added that the King’s personality can be seen “everywhere” in the garden, adding: “I mean, every plant, every tree, every hedge.
“He’s a painter as well. He’s an accomplished artist and I think you see that in the way the gardens are laid out. There’s always something drawing your eye, there’s a composition.”
Head of horticulture at The King’s Foundation, Melissa Simpson, said the King still gets “100%” involved with the gardens.
The King’s Foundation offers education courses for almost 15,000 students annually, and health and wellbeing programmes for nearly 2,000 people each year. It also spearheads placemaking and regeneration projects in the UK and overseas to revitalise communities and historic buildings.
It acts as the custodian of Highgrove Gardens, home to education programmes in traditional and heritage crafts, including the Snowdon School of Furniture and the Metiers d’Art Fellowship in partnership with Chanel and le19M.
The King attended the royal residence for the annual Crafts At Christmas event, where he was filmed being presented with creations from the Snowdon School of Furniture students.
He was given a box of baubles created by students on a post-graduate furniture course and marvelled at the square ornaments they had carved from alder, oak and cedar.
Charles joked about needing an “extra-strong tree” after feeling the weight of a bauble.
After hanging a bauble on a Christmas tree outside the Orchard Room, Charles spoke about the “battle” to maintain “timeless skills” to keep traditional crafts alive.
He said: “It’s really trying to maintain the timeless skills, which are always needed really, whatever age we’re in.
“They are all rather disappearing, the battle is trying to keep all the special ones.”
The Countryfile episode follows Charles taking part in a 2023 special of The Repair Shop, where he showcased the work of the students – when the charity was called The Prince’s Foundation – as well as speaking about heritage crafts.
Countryfile Christmas At Highgrove aired on BBC One on Sunday at 5.30pm.
