When Prince Charles recently agreed to guest edit a special edition of BBC 1's rural programme Countryfile, presenter Julia Bradbury and her team were invited to the Prince of Wales's organic farm in Gloucestershire.Attending a senior royal's country retreat could have been a daunting prospect for the crew, but Julia says that the Prince was at his most relaxed and open.
During the interview Charles, whose daughter-in-law Kate Middleton is due to give birth in July, talks about the royal baby, which is due in July.Asked if imminent grandfatherhood makes him feel old, he replied: "Of course it does, to a certain extent, because you can't believe that, suddenly, that is beginning to happen in your life. "I look forward enormously to that relationship with a grandchild, I think."
Speaking about her time with the Prince, who is appearing on Countryfile as part of the show's 25th anniversary celebrations, Julia said he was just like all the other outdoor fans who tune in to the show.
"It was as far removed from pomp and ceremony as you can imagine," she said. "We were in one of his favourite spots, in a field in his organic Home Farm at Highgrove, so he was very relaxed. "It was incredible to be in the place he loves more than anywhere. "The programme, to be aired on Sunday 10 March, also follows the heir to the throne as he visits rural initiatives aimed at improving the lives of people working in the countryside.Earlier this year, Charles revealed his guest editing spot in a speech to the Oxford Farming Conference. He said: "Is it not quite revealing that the BBC's Countryfile programme has become so tremendously popular. "Ever since they moved it to its prime-time slot on a Sunday night, it has become one of their most successful television programmes, with over seven million viewers a week. "There is evidently a thirst for the countryside and for the culture it represents."
Read the full report in HELLO! Issue 1267, out now.Julia Bradbury interview by Pam Francis