News
TRH meet eight-year-old Anna Earls during their visit to Northern Ireland
16th May 2006
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall granted a special audience to a little girl at Hillsborough Castle and visited a creamery during their two-day visit to Northern Ireland.
Eight-year-old Anna Earls, who has a malignant kidney tumour, sent a painting to the Make-A-Wish Foundation UK last year and said she would love to meet The Prince and The Duchess.
The Prince and The Duchess were introduced to Anna, from the Dundonald area of Belfast, in the drawing room of the castle, which is the official residence of Secretary of State Peter Hain.
Anna presented Their Royal Highnesses with a painting depicting a vase of a colourful selection of flowers and in response The Prince told the little girl: “We are very touched.”
The Duchess said the schoolgirl was very talented and joked that their pink outfits clashed.
On the original painting Anna sent to the Make-A-Wish charity, she wrote: “I would like to go and meet Prince Charles and Camilla because I would like to see his animals and because he is very good to the environment.”
At the meeting which was held in private, Anna asked The Prince if he goes into the garden to plant things and The Duchess told her that he does like to plant things whenever he gets a chance.
The Duchess also told the schoolgirl that her favourite animals are horses and dogs and said she has three Jack Russell terriers.
Afterwards Anna revealed that she had asked The Prince what his wish would be.
The schoolgirl said: “Prince Charles said that he wished he could find a way for the world to be saved.”
Anna also asked The Prince and Duchess if they enjoyed their wedding last year.
She said: “They said they did enjoy it very, very much.”
The Prince also spoke to Anna about recycling and the environment.
Anna was accompanied by her mother, Alison Earls, and grandmother, Elizabeth Sharpe.
Alison said: “It was absolutely wonderful. They are very warm, very easy to approach and very, very nice.
“They made myself, Anna and my mum very much at home.”
Anna's grandmother Elizabeth described the experience as the best day of her life.
She said: “They were very charming and they relaxed us right away.”
Make-A-Wish Foundation UK is a leading charity which aims to turn the wishes of children and young people, aged from three to 17, with life-threatening illnesses into reality.
The organisation makes 500 wishes come true throughout the UK every year, including 50 in Northern Ireland.
Later in the day, The Prince and The Duchess met well-wishers during a visit to Fivemiletown Creamery.