Stylishly but sensibly clad to meet the winter chill, Prince Charles and his wife The Duchess of Cornwall visited the National Arboretum at Westonbirt on Monday to mark the beginning of a new collection of maple trees.
The cheerful royal couple, both great country-lovers, cracked jokes with each other and their hosts during their back-to-the-earth engagement in the Cotswolds, smiling broadly for the cameras as they stepped forward to do a spot of spade-wielding.
While Charles was his usual sharp self in a calf-length coat over a suit and polished shoes, Camilla struck an excellent balance between elegant and practical with a forest green wrap swathed over her skirt suit and knee-high boots.
The Duchess, her fair hair a patch of colour against the sombre winter landscape, helped plant the 100th tree in the new Rotary Glade collection of maples before going on to a reception of Friends of the Arboretum, of which she has recently become a patron.
Westonbirt's Arboretum was established by the wealthy Holford family back in 1829. It now stretches over 600 acres and is home to some 17,000 specimens, including world-famous maple collections.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
