Prince Charles handed pizza at trendy cafe during day of engagements

Slice to meet you! Prince Charles is handed a pizza as he visits trendy cafe in former auction house during busy day of engagements in Scotland

• The 70-year-old, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay while in Scotland, has already made his first stop 
• He visited the Scott and Charters Knitwear Factory first where a local school greeted him on arrival
• Later today he is expected to open the new offices of an environmental charity called Tweed Forum

Prince Charles’s busy day of engagements in Scotland got under way earlier this morning at a knitwear factory before the Duke then went on to visit a cashmere company and a deli. 

The 70-year-old, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay while in Scotland, donned a traditional green kilt as he made his first stop to the Scott and Charters Knitwear Factory that was founded in Hawick in 1955.

He has since visited the Mainstreet Trading Company in St Boswells, Melrose, as well as attending a reception being held by cashmere makers Hawico to celebrate British Industry.

Later today he is expected to open the new offices of Tweed Forum, an environmental charity that is dedicated to protecting and conserving the River Tweed, near Melrose, and its surroundings.

The Duke will meet farmers, foresters, landowners and ghillies all working with public and private sector bodies on both sides of the border to help restore the river, boost fish stocks and attract tourists.

James Hepburne Scott, Tweed Forum chairman, said: ‘We are delighted that His Royal Highness will officially open Tweed Forum’s new offices and are greatly looking forward to telling him about our partnership approach to the management of the river, which is delivering significant environmental benefits.

‘Together with all of our partners, we share a passion for this important river and it will be a privilege to tell His Royal Highness about the work we carry out to protect and conserve it.’

Prince Charles’s trip to the Mainstreet Trading Company in St Boswells, Melrose, is the latest stop during a busy day of engagements. He climbed out of a van owned by the company which used to be an old auction house and grocers that has since been converted into a bookshop, deli, cafe and home store

One of the locals who had gathered on the street in anticipation of his visit to the new deli cafe handed him a pizza in a brown cardboard box and the Prince shook his hand appreciatively 

The Duke enthusiastically took a peek inside the box to admire the pizza although it is not known what flavour it might have been

The next stop for the Prince was at Hawico, a family owned and run business that specialises in cashmere, as it hosted a reception in one of their workspaces

He was introduced to the Hawico chairman Jim Thomson inside the space as the pair were surrounded by materials and products that the company had helped produce 

The gathering was held to celebrate British Industry in Hawick and Prince Charles inspected all the products on offer carefully including a selection of scented candles

The 70-year-old, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay while in Scotland, made his first stop to the Scott and Charters Knitwear Factory in Hawick earlier this morning

He was initially greeted by a group of local schoolchildren, who stood outside the factory to represent him with a decorated ceramic mug, before heading inside to be shown around the production line 

The cup he received was adorned with a simple message dedicated to the Duke that read: ‘To HRH Prince Charles – From everyone at Wiggly Worms Nursery. Hawick 2019’

He donned a traditional green kilt as he was given a tour around the new mill that has opened on the site on what was his first stop in a busy day of engagements in Scotland

Prince Charles even got hands on with the equipment after he was shown how to use the final press machine at the factory by David Gentlemen (left)

The Duke stood holding a wooden baton in his right hand after taking a step back to admire his handy work 

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Prince Charles looked delighted as he continued his tour and was shown a collection of grey jumpers that the factory had produced to examine the material and workmanship that they had involved

Several workers in the factory continued to sew parts of the products by hand as the Duke walked through the factory floor

His Royal Highness also unveiled a small plaque at the site that commemorated his trip today to the Scott and Charters Knitwear Factory in Hawick

Prince Charles appeared to be in good spirits as he shared a joke with workers at the factory while he continued his tour

He was even shown the laundry room where textiles and finished products get washed in super-sized machines before they are then shipped out to retailers

The Duke got a full behind-the-scenes tour of the knitwear factory which was founded in 1955 and has since been run by three generations of one family

The factory is now owned by WRA Group but states on its official website that their original ‘ethos continues to flourish’

The factory tour came to an end and the Prince of Wales then took some time to meet with locals in Hawick town centre, which is renowned for its textile and wool industry

He seemed pleased to get an opportunity to stop and chat to families in the area as he strolled through the town’s historic streets

A traditional pipe band that appeared to be made up of schoolchildren of all ages passed the Duke as the musicians clutched their instruments that included bagpipes and drums

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