The Prince of Wales carried out engagements in Wales on Friday, visiting the CAF train factory in Newport, the British Airways Maintenance Centre and the Marie Curie Hospice in Cardiff. Prince Charles, 71, also made quite the entrance when he arrived at his second stop of the day at the new Aston Martin Lagonda factory in St Athan.
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WATCH: Charles arrives at factory in his vintage Aston Martin
The heir-to-the-throne arrived at the plant in his own Aston Martin DB6, which is powered by biodiesel made by a by-product of the cheese manufacturing process and wine unsuitable for human consumption. The car, which was a 21st birthday gift from the Queen, was converted to the alternative fuel source in 2008.
In the Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70 documentary to mark his milestone birthday in 2018, he revealed how the idea came about. He said: "They discovered they could run it on surplus English white wine, but also I hadn’t realised that they had mixed whey into it too.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesCharles arrived in his DB6
"The engineers at Aston said, 'Oh, it'll ruin the whole thing.' I said, 'Well I won't drive it then', so they got on with it and now they admit that it runs better and is more powerful on that fuel than it is on petrol."
He added: "And also, it smells delicious as you're driving along."
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© Photo: Getty ImagesWilliam and Kate in Charles' car on their wedding day
The DB6 famously played a major role at Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in April 2011. The moment the newlyweds appeared beaming in the 1969 Aston Martin, which was decked out in ribbons, 'C' and 'W' ballons and a 'just married' sign, was one of the most memorable images of the day.
During his visit, Charles toured the factory floor and was given the chance to test drive Aston Martin's new SUV and the DBX. He then joined a reception with staff and apprentices to celebrate the new premises.
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