‘I got up to a lot’: William recalls selling CDs as boy at ‘dodgy car boot sale’

THE Prince of Wales paid a solo visit to Monmouthshire late last week.

Landing his Royal helicopter at the Red Sky at Night Campsite at Newcastle where the landing site has now been renamed as The Royal Pitch, the Prince’s unannounced visit saw him heading to Skenfrith where he met with local residents who have been hit by recent flooding, and Abergavenny where he met farmers working with a local charity to plant trees to mitigate the effects of severe flooding and extreme weather conditions.

In Skenfrith, he chatted to Rod and Helen Wyatt at their garden gate and was told how the water almost topped gravestones in a cemetery opposite and they have now tiled the ground floor of their house and just live with the threat of flooding.

Mr Wyatt, who has lived in his home for 10 years, made light of the experience when he told William at one point: “We had to give up really, we got two bottles of Prosecco and went to watch Strictly upstairs”.

William replied: “It must be so demoralising for you now, the worry each year you’ve got to go through that again, potentially, is becoming more frequent.

“First time I met you, you were this high,” Mr Wyatt said, holding up his hand waist high.

“In Glanusk Estate – you sold me a CD from a bric-a-brac stall.”

William laughed and replied: “Dodgy car boot sale, yes I remember that.”

Mr Wyatt joked: “Still doing that?” and the future king replied: “No, I don’t sell… it’s dried up a bit that one, perhaps I should reopen it.”

Mr Wyatt’s wife added that they could not remember the title of the CD and the prince confessed: “I got up to a lot… we had some fun round there.”

After his Monmouthshire visit he headed to Herefordshire where he met third generation Ross-on-Wye farmer Harry Davies, who has become his latest Duchy of Cornwall tenant at the regenerative Monkhall Farm, the Callow, south of Hereford.

Regenerative farming aims to restore soil health, increase biodiversity, and improve the water cycle rather than depleting natural resources.

Prince William - who was acting in his role as Duke of Cornwall - told Mr Davies: “We can help other farmers understand this is totally doable.”

Harry Davies is a third-generation farmer who has farmed throughout his life at Hopes Ash Farm, near Howle Hill, Ross On Wye, alongside his parents and grandparents, managing dairy, poultry, beef, arable and renewable energy enterprises.

He became a partner in the family business in 2023, after graduating from Harper Adams University with a BSc (Hons) in Agriculture.