VISITORS flocked in their tens of thousands to the opening day of England's flagship agricultural show; an annual celebration of rural life and farming.
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall appeared to be enjoying themselves as they spent more than three hours wondering around the Harrogate showground, meeting exhibitors, staff and show visitors at the 250 acre site.
On their arrival late in the morning they were presented with bouquets by two children of Yorkshire Agricultural Society staff.
Kate Donnelly, five and Jessica Fox, four, from Harrogate, presented a bouquet and a buttonhole to the Royal couple.
The two friends remained undaunted by banks of photographers and meeting the couple themselves.
“I wasn’t nervous. I practised at home,” said Kate.
Kate’s dad, Nick Donnelly said: “They seemed to enjoy themselves. I was more nervous than they were.”
Kate Donnelly (far left) and Jessica Fox being interviewed after handing over flowers to Prince Charles and Camilla
Prince Charles, who as patron of the show was wearing a Yorkshire Agricultural Society tie, spoke to a number of local producers in the food hall. He visited Ampleforth Abbey’s stall and spoke to members of the family-run business Voakes Pies, based in Whixley, North Yorkshire.
He also met Father Terence Richardson, prior of Ampleforth Monastery, about the abbey’s cider brewing.
The brewing monks of Ampleforth Abbey, in Ryedale, North Yorkshire, produce a number of award-winning drinks including a beer brewed to a secret recipe the order has held for several hundred years, along with apple juice and ciders made from apples in their orchard.
Father Richardson said: “He tried one of the sparkling ciders and said it was very good, he seemed to enjoy it.”
The Duchess of Cornwall took time to try an ice-cream and a fairground stall, knocking bottles off a stand.
Camilla, who is patron of the Moorland Trust, also presented rosettes at one of the Exmoor ponies classes and spoke to livestock owners Giles Eustice, whose family breed the country’s oldest herd of the rare breed pig, the British Lop, at a farm in Cornwall.
Mr Eustice, whose brother is food and farming minister George Eustice, said: “We’ve brought a team of 12 pigs up from Cornwall to show here. This breed is one of the rarest, if not the rarest; they’ve been with us a long time.
“These rare breeds are commercially important in keeping hold of the genetics.”
Prince Charles, patron of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, spoke to other rare breed livestock holders - notoriously dedicated owners, some of whom had slept in the sheds next to their stock overnight.
He also visited the cattle sheds where he met South Devon cattle breeders David Irving and his son Christopher Irving, from Dumfries, Scotland.
“He seemed genuinely interested and very knowledgeable. It was nice that he took the time,” said David Irving.
This year’s agricultural show has seen record livestock entries.
Tomorrow's highlights (Wednesday, July 15) will include pole climbing contests, when competitors will race up an 80ft high wooden pole aiming to beat the show’s six-year-old record of 9.57 seconds and a Shetland Pony Grand National competition.
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