King Charles and Queen Camilla surprised unexpecting spa guests this morning during a visit to Poundbury. The couple met with hundreds of well-wishers gathered in the hope of catching a glimpse of the King and Queen at the eco-village on the outskirts of Dorchester, Dorset. A few guests got more than they bargained for as they enjoyed a day at the spa before meeting the King.
A trio of spa-goers were treating themselves at the spa in Queen Mother Square when they were photographed shaking hands with Charles.
Faye Harris said the experience was “surreal”.
She said: “It was very surreal, and I did not expect to meet them this morning.
“We were aware the King and Queen were coming this morning when we first turned up and did not expect to see them.
“The manager came up and said they were likely to be here around midday and would we like to pop our heads out of the window, not shake his hand in our bathrobes.
“It was fantastic to meet them, very nice people.”
The landmark visit from the royals marked the opening of Queen Mother Square in Poundbury, the model town designed by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The town is designed to be a sustainable community and is due to be completed fully by 2028.
Their majesties also visited the new Duke of Edinburgh garden on the Pavilion Green where they unveiled a bust of the King’s late father, Prince Philip.
The town of Poundbury was designed according to specifications set out in Charles’s book A Vision of Britain and is now home to 4,000 people.
The independent businesses in the town employ around 2,000 people and are going from strength to strength after it was founded 30 years ago
To commemorate the visit, Poundbury development director Andrew Hamilton pulled back a curtain to unveil bronze reliefs of Their Majesties, which have been created by artist Ian Rank-Broadly.
As he revealed the sculptures in a gust of wind The King quipped: “It very nearly unveiled itself.”
They met with George Carter, the landscape designer before listening to children from Damers First School perform their Coronation song Sing For The King.
The King and Queen thanked the children and also met the outgoing headteacher Catherine Smith.
Addressing the children, Charles said: “Thank you very much that was brilliant.”
