Heckler booed by crowd as King visits Lancashire

A member of the public shouted a question about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to King Charles III as he greeted crowds at Clitheroe train station in Lancashire.

The rest of the crowd booed after a man shouted: "How long have you known about Andrew?".

The King visited Clitheroe Auction Mart and met a pony related to the late Queen's beloved pony Emma and spoke to local farmers who brought their rare breed sheep.

He then travelled to Samlesbury Hall, near Preston, becoming the first monarch to visit the 701-year-old medieval manor house, now preserved by a trust body.

The King was in Lancashire for the second time as monarch, where he spoke to representatives of the Field Nurses charity.

It enables nurses to hold drop-in sessions at auction marts across Lancashire and South Cumbria to offer basic health checks and mental wellbeing support to members of the rural community.

As he unveiled a plaque in the auction ring to mark the visit, King Charles told those gathered: "I promise you I know only too well how vital the rural sector and the farming sector is to this country.

"Having started the Countryside Fund nearly 20 years ago, I hope that is at least contributing to some degree to the welfare and I hope also the adaptability of farmers to the endless complications and challenges you have to meet.

"For me I do have some appreciation of what you put up with.

"Thank God is all I can say for marts like this and all the people associated with it like the field nurses and everybody else.

"So I can only hope you have as successful a coming season as possible, weather permitting, climate change permitting and anything else. It is remarkable how you manage."

The King thanked them for their efforts and received a rapturous round of applause.

In the auction ring he met Fell pony Pearl, related on its sire's side to Emma, the black Fell pony which made an appearance at the late monarch's funeral where laid over her saddle was the Queen's sheepskin saddle cover and the silk headscarf she wore when riding.

Pearl was bred by Rossendale farmers Andrew Thorpe, 64, and Michelle Thorpe, 63, who gave her as a wedding present to their nephew Ben, 39.

Ben Thorpe said: "She is part of the family, like having a dog."

Earlier, Field Nurses founder member Richard Schofield explained to the King why the charity was set up 10 years ago.

A team of 12 nurses visits eight auction marts in the region, as well as agricultural shows.

He said: "We have a nurse in an auction mart every week. You don't need an appointment. You just go and see them."

Trustee Roger Dugdale said: "A lot of farmers are isolated and work on their own. They haven't time to go to the GP so they just keep going and getting on with it but they all go to the auction mart. It's a social occasion."

Inside Samlesbury Hall, he met the hall's archivist, trustees and volunteers, responsible for preserving the Grade-I listed building, founded in around 1325 by Gilbert de Southworth.

During the visit the King also spoke to Ishwer Tailor and his wife Urhila Tailor, from the Gujarat Hindu Society, based in Preston, which the King had previously visited in 1981.

The King laughed and pointed at the photos Mr Tailor showed him of that visit, showing the then prince playing snooker with local youths at the centre.

"He potted one, he was quite happy," Mr Tailor said.

King Charles ended the trip at the newly opened Butlers' cheese campus at Inglewhite.

The fourth generation family cheesemaker, established in 1932, combines traditional skills, innovation, and a focus on the long term sustainability of the business and protecting the cheesemaking craft.

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