News
TRH spend a day in Leicester
8th February 2008
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall spent a day in Leicester today and met children learning about the Second World War, young people helped into business by The Prince's Trust and faith and community groups at the St Philip's Centre.
Her Royal Highness, who is President of Barnardo's, also met staff, young carers and their families involved in the Barnardo’s CareFree Project in Enderby, Leicester.
For their first engagement of the day, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited The Museum of The Royal Leicestershire Regiment in the Newarke Houses Museum of Social History, Leicester.
Their Royal Highnesses met schoolchildren dressed as Second World War evacuees and laughed with the youngsters as they played traditional childhood games and learned about life during the war.
The Prince and The Duchess were shown around Leicester's Newarke Houses Museum, which has just undergone a £1.5m refurbishment and is home to The Museum of The Royal Leicestershire Regiment, in the first of four visits to venues in the city.
Dressed in evacuee clothes and holding a teddy bear, nine-year-old Kajal Thakrar smiled as she told Their Royal Highnesses about what she had learned.
The Mellor Community Primary School pupil said: "The Duchess liked my teddy bear.
“The Prince was asking me about what I was wearing and about my teddy. It was fantastic to meet them."
Their Royal Highnesses then walked through a reconstructed trench and had a look around traditional shops and pubs set up inside the museum.
They also toured the second floor of the museum, dedicated to The Royal Leicestershire Regiment.
Here they spoke to 81-year-old Myles Foster, who fought as a sergeant in the regiment between 1949 and 1960.
He said: "This was the first time I have met The Prince - I have met most of the Royal Family. It was good to talk to him."
Later in the day The Prince of Wales visited St Philip's inter-faith centre in Leicester, and described it as a "living example of unity through diversity".
The Prince watched on the sidelines as religious leaders from a range of faiths competed in a football match - one of the many activities used to encourage people of different faiths to come together.
The Prince's visit to the centre was one of four engagements he and wife Camilla attended in the city.
Speaking after the match, which saw the Christian clergy take on Hindu, Muslim and Sikh leaders, The Prince said: "Having heard so much about the work here I could not be more happy than to see it at first hand.
“I am full of admiration for the amount of effort and trouble, love and devotion that goes into it.
“You are a living example of unity through diversity which to me seems like one of the great aims at the end of the day."
Ibrahim Mogra, of the city's Christian Muslim Dialogue, said: "We are delighted that The Prince has made time for us to come and see the hard work that is carried out by the diverse faith communities.
"He has shown a real interest in the representatives of the different faith groups."
Their Royal Highnesses also met with young people from The Prince's Trust Team Programme, which aims to develop social and employment skills in people aged 16 to 25, at Leicester City Football Club's Walker Stadium.
The Duchess later paid a visit to staff and carers at the Barnado's CareFree Project in Enderby, Leicester.