Prince Charles and Camilla sampled the delights of Borough Market and chatted to traders on a Valentine’s Day visit to officially reopen the London foodie haven.The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall smiled and chatted as they wandered around the stalls and sat down to talk to traders over a cup of tea at Maria’s Market Cafe. Charles asked for his tea very strong with two sugars while Camilla wanted just a dash of milk and one sugar.
When a farmer presented Charles with some wild boar and the Prince hinted that Camilla might cook it as a Valentine’s supper. She already has a head start after being presented with some olive oil from another stallholder. In case he had forgotten to buy his wife flowers, Camilla was presented with a bright bouquet.When Charles stopped at the Golden Co Honey stall he revealed that he was fascinated by bees. He asked Rhug’s Organic butchers where they sourced their produce and wanted to know how spicy one trader’s paella was.Camilla wrapped up in a brown jacket with a checked scarf while Charles was his usual dapper self in a navy blue striped suit. An onlooker said that the pair looked "genuinely delighted" to be there.Donald Hyslop, Chair of Trustees of Borough Market, told HELLO! Online exclusively, "We were delighted that HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall were able to be our guests of honour, the Prince is a supporter of small food producers and champions many of the values we do here at the market."
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The Dean of Southwark Cathedral blessed the site then the Prince rang the new market bell to signify the start of the trading day and officially open the market, a tradition that dates back to the Market’s origins in the 1750s. They continued their tour and spoke to pupils from Southwark’s Snowfield primary school who were cooking on site. Charles has been interested in high-quality produce for many years. In 1990 he set up Duchy Originals, as a way of raising money for charitable causes by selling organic produce grown at Highgrove. Duchy now sells around 260 products exclusively in Waitrose.
Part of the iconic Borough Market, the historic Three Crown Square, had been closed for three and a half years while a new viaduct was built and the market refurbished.Donald said, "When the bell rang out on Valentine’s Day to mark the formal reopening of Three Crown Square, it heralded the latest chapter in the Market’s long life – one that should see Borough Market continue to thrive for the “use and benefit” of Londoners for many generations to come. "The reopening of Three Crown Square signifies the next chapter in our long and rich history – providing a world-class, ingredient-led market space to meet the needs of a 21st century London, whilst staying true to our unique identity."