The Prince of Wales tried his hand at a spot of wall climbing today - in a double-breasted suit.

His Royal Highness thought nothing of grappling with hand holds as he tested his balancing skills at a Jersey secondary school during a Diamond Jubilee visit to the Channel Island with The Duchess of Cornwall.

At one point The Prince found himself having to stretch his legs to reach a foot hold but ended up smiling when his exertions were over. John McGuinness, head teacher of Grainville School, said: "The Prince did quite a stretch in his suit and he drew a gasp from everyone including The Duchess.

"It just showed his willingness to have a go, amongst the young people in the gym they were taken with this and he will have earned some street cred with them."

The Prince shared his time on the wall with some of the school's Army Cadet Force members and opened a new building housing the sports equipment and a canteen.

The Duchess met children in the school's Horizon Centre, used to help youngsters make the transition from primary to secondary school and also raise standards in literacy and numeracy.

The Prince chatted to staff from his Prince's Trust which runs an educational programme to help young people who are struggling at Grainville School.

He also met a group of young people who are taking part in the charity's team programme, a 12-week personal development course to help unemployed 16 to 25-year-olds get back to work.

The Prince listened to Janni Boon, 21, who told him how the Trust had helped him find a job as a youth worker after years of struggling to find permanent employment.

He said: "It was a real privilege to be able to share my story with Prince Charles today and tell him what a difference his charity is making to young people in Jersey."

Later The Prince and Duchess travelled to Royal Square in the town of St Helier for an open-air sitting of the States of Jersey, the island's government and parliament, before meeting stall holders in the Central Market.

Surrounded by hundreds of well-wishers in the square, The Prince gave a speech praising the warm welcome from the crown dependency's people.

He said: "The people of Jersey also played their part in the Diamond Jubilee events in London and, most visibly, at the River Pageant on the Thames.

"We were very moved, I must say, to see Jersey's two boats there, including the island's first powered lifeboat, so lovingly-restored by the Maritime Museum.

"It gives me no pleasure, here in the sunniest part of the British Isles, to be reminded that the weather that day was especially suitable for a lifeboat and, someone said, for toads too."

In the square, The Prince unveiled a commemorative granite feature and a specially-commissioned artwork of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.

Their Royal Highnesses met stall holders in the nearby Central Market, a Victorian feature that has been regenerated in recent years.

The Prince, a keen gardener and farmer, tried a cherry tomato and was presented with a brown paper bag of Jersey Royal potatoes.