Meeting the future King Charles III

At such a sad time for the Royal Family and the whole country, I have been struck by the selfless service that the Queen has given to the nation over the last seventy years. So many people and charities have been helped by her majesty and other members of the royal family over the years.

Meeting Prince Charles as regional finalist 1992

I was lucky enough to be one of those people. Fresh out of art school and keen to make a go of it as a practicing artist, I sought help from the Princes Youth Business Trust. Headed by Prince Charles, the trust provided workshops, advice, encouragement and a mentor for young people starting out in business. They arranged exhibitions and showcases for us ( such as Hampton Court Flower Show and a stand at Newbury Races) and encouraged us to enter business competitions.

As a regional finalist of one of the competitions, I was presented with my award by Prince Charles.  Just like the accounts of people that have met the Queen, I found he put us all at ease and seemed genuinely interested in our many different enterprises.  I even gave him an invitation to my first solo show!

Presenting Prince Charles with an invitation to my first Solo Show in 1992