Charles takes slice of Highgrove on visit to Ayrshire Hospice
The Prince of Wales came bearing a special gift on a Christmas visit to a hospice – a chocolate model of his Highgrove House.
The cake, made by Chocolaterie Artisanale Alexandre in Nyon, Switzerland, included chocolate figures of Charles and wife Camilla, as well as the Prince of Wales’s feathers and the gardens of the home.
Charles told staff, patients and volunteers at The Ayrshire Hospice in Ayr that he was “interested to see who does the first demolition job” on the cake.
In return for his gift, he was presented with a hand-painted scarf for the Duchess of Cornwall and a box of toys for his grandchildren.
The independent hospice cares for people with incurable illnesses such as cancer, neurological conditions, end stage heart failure and lung disease.
Charles, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay when in Scotland, toured the facility and joined in an art therapy class.
He sat with patients painting a sunflower on a ceramic tile and told the class it was the first time in months he had picked up a paint brush.
Hospice patient Jim Fitzsimmons said: “He did very well but we’ve all seen his landscapes so we knew he could paint.
“He said he’s trying to be more bold in his painting these days and was giving us good tips.”
About 185 staff and more than 600 volunteers work at the hospice to provide care at no cost to the patients or their families.
Chief executive Mandy Yule guided Charles on the tour of the hospice and thanked him for travelling “through storm and flood” as heavy rain and strong winds swept Ayrshire.
Before leaving, Charles had a cup of tea with staff and unveiled a plaque marking his visit.
He said: “This is a splendid hospice and having met some of you I can tell you that I’m so full of admiration for the love and care in this place.
“It clearly makes a huge difference to so many and I hope it goes from strength to strength.”
Talking about the cake he brought, Charles said: “Happy Christmas, and I hope this small gift will help.”
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2016, All Rights Reserved. Picture (c) PA Wire.
