As May’s royal coronation approaches, and communities across our county get together to mark this momentous occasion, it’s fair to say that King Charles III is no stranger to these parts.
Being his late mother Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s heir apparent for over 70 years, Charles, Prince of Wales, has criss-crossed Derbyshire in performing many official engagements over the years.
And, looking back on some of these occasions, what’s revealed is the many different lives which have been touched, and the memories made.
Flying the flag for British manufacturing, the official opening of Toyota’s £700 million car factory at Burnaston, in June 1993, demonstrated Charles’ support for the local talent that exists here in Derbyshire, which helped to secure this prestigious works.
Initially dubbed Project X, the state-of-the-art plant was built on the site of the former Burnaston Hall and a one-time aerodrome.
Almost twenty years on, Prince Charles again showed a drive to promote both the conservation of industrial heritage and investment in the latest technological innovation here - first during a visit in 2011 to the then newly restored Cromford Station, followed within 12 months by a tour of train rolling stock giant Bombardier, in Derby.
Meeting the workforce – some of whom were fourth generation – photos taken at the time show the future King smiling broadly as he takes the controls inside the cab of a tube train, fresh off the production line.
Meanwhile, scheduled stops have regularly been made to catch-up on the small business success stories backed by The Prince’s Trust.
Founded in 1976, the charity helps vulnerable young people get their lives on track and is an organisation which has remained close to his heart.
A trip to Derby College’s Wilmorton Campus in March 2003, where he met Mir Juma, former Trust regional director for the East Midlands, was one such opportunity.
On another occasion, at the city’s Rosehill Business Park, young entrepreneurs were given the chance to share their ‘big idea’ with the then Prince of Wales.
Never one to shy away from learning new skills, His Royal Highness took up a paintbrush to gild a cup under the watchful eye of the experts at Royal Crown Derby.
Accompanied by the Queen Consort, Camilla, in February 2011, their day in Derbyshire also saw them head to artisan ice cream maker Bluebells Dairy.
King Charles, of course, has long supported food provenance on his own Duchy of Cornwall Estate. And its spin-off Duchy Originals food range has given royal endorsement to a wide variety of specialist products.
One Duchy supplier was on the menu in December 2006 when he sampled the delights of a Matthew Walker Christmas pudding at the Heanor-based factory.
The foodie trip to the county continued in nearby Ashover, where glasses were raised to the locally produced scrumpy cider.
This particular visit reached new heights when this small but beautiful Derbyshire Dales village’s festive lights were switched on by the future head of state no less!
However, when it comes to an annual celebration, few can compete with Ashbourne’s Royal Shrovetide football match and this was the scene for one of Charles’ most memorable visits to Derbyshire.
The King’s coronation is set to be a formal, regal affair yet Charles enjoyed an altogether more ‘hands-on’ experience on his trip to Ashbourne.
Immortalised forever in paintings and news clippings is the sight of the then Prince of Wales parading through the watching crowds, which ran into the thousands, hoisted aloft (somewhat precariously) on the shoulders of two bearers, Mark Harrison and Dougie Sowter, with the former later stating that ‘we managed to get him up in the end at it all went well, but it was close!’
At the event, Charles told the bulging crowds: ‘Long may this fine Derbyshire tradition continue, in this great country of ours. I only hope that someone now scores a goal.’
His Royal Highness had, in fact, agreed to ‘turn up’ the ball the previous two years, only for his attendance to be cancelled firstly due firstly to the Foot and Mouth epidemic in 2001 and then the death of his aunt, the Princess Margaret, in 2002.
His ‘turning up’ of the specially designed ball a year later from the plinth in Shawcroft car park on March 5 2003 was actually the second time the event had been touched by a majestic hand yet, thankfully, Charles escaped the rough and tumble of the first member of the Royal household to take part in the iconic event.
Charles’ mother's uncle, later Edward VIII, oversaw proceedings back in 1928; with reports suggesting the Royal guest of honour unfortunately suffered a bloody nose as play began.
The actual ball thrown by Edward, incidentally, was recently obtained by an Ashbourne-based family for £4,200 with plans to display it in the town’s heritage centre.
‘Royal status’ had been given to the game six years prior to Edward’s ‘turning up’ of the ball, when a Shrovetide ball had been gifted to Princess Mary, daughter of King George V, by the Shrovetide committee as a wedding gift after she was married on Shrove Tuesday 1922.
By means of thanks, the game was afforded the right be called ‘Royal’ Shrovetide Football.
The apparent wayward nature of the game, however, disguises some well-established rules. And in their ceremonial roles involving the military, members of the Royal family adhere to a long-held formality.
As their colonel-in-chief, Prince Charles was called upon to inspect the 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, Parachute Regiment at Hardwick Hall a year on from his Ashbourne exploits.
The parade, in July 2004, coincided with Armed Forces Day and saw the presentation of new Sovereign’s Colours, otherwise known as flags, in recognition of the regiment’s devotion to duty.
A commitment to service in other public roles was also highlighted during several visits by our reigning monarch to Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal Hospital.
These included meeting staff and patients on the children’s ward in 1999; and the opening of the new ward development by the then Duchess of Cornwall in 2011.
As far back as November 1979 a much younger Prince Charles, still in his early 30s, visited Derby Cathedral – as his mother did on several occasions during her lifetime - accompanied by the former Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire, Colonel Sir Peter Hilton, and his wife Lady Winifred.
And another famous Derbyshire landmark - Chesterfield’s crooked spire - was the scene of a service attended by the Prince of Wales and the late Princess Diana, after they’d officially opened the restored Pavement Shopping Centre in the town.
The crowds who thronged the square in front of the Town Hall balcony were particularly enthusiastic on this day, as the visit in November 1981 followed the announcement of the impending birth of Prince William.
Often a welcome is expressed in the form of gifts bestowed on the royal party: from fresh flowers clutched by school children, to tokens of cultural and ethnic significance.
The whistle-stop tour of Derby’s community and faith centres in the early 1980s is a powerful example of the breadth of audiences that have delighted in the now King Charles’ presence in our county.
At the Serbian Church, a handmade flask called a cuturica, which is used to pour the national drink Slivovitz, was presented whilst, at the Islamic Centre, a velvet-covered copy of the Koran, and at the Dairyhouse Road Mosque a silver coffee set, were received.
Later, during a meeting with the Sikh ladies association at the city’s Temple, His Royal Highness was adorned with a necklace of stone beads, said to engender long life.
As exhibited at Ashbourne, the King has never been afraid to fully embrace the numerous events he has attended across Derbyshire over the years.
Indeed, over 40 years on from the event, a photograph of the then Prince folk dancing at Derby’s Ukrainian Club resurfaced just a matter of months ago, during a conversation with Ukraine’s first lady Olena Volodymyrivna Zelenska in London.
Apparently, having been greeted by hundreds of flag waving well-wishers at the entrance to the club, which was founded in 1947 by Ukrainians displaced during World War II, a customary welcome of bread and salt was accompanied by a glass of vodka.
This was then followed by a performance by the much-lauded Hoverla Dance Ensemble, who invited His Majesty to join them in a rendition of the Hopak, in which each individual dancers perform a solo culminating in a spectacular finale.
Fittingly, he was also given a carved book on Ukrainian national costume and stories.
A respect for deep rooted traditions crops up regularly, not least whilst exploring countryside matters.
In 2015 there was a royal unveiling of a plaque honouring the volunteers involved in bringing Wirksworth’s Ecclesbourne Valley Railway service back into fully functioning use.
And it was whilst waiting to board the railcar to travel the milk and honey line, so named because of its historic cargo, that organic farming practises were reputedly discussed – an area the King has always shown himself to be passionate about.
It’s perfectly plausible this conversation may well have continued over a cuppa during a tour of the Farming Life Centre at Blackwell Hall Farm, near Buxton, where Charles was on hand to hear all about the myriad issues facing the rural community, together with the support received from The Prince's Countryside Fund.
And of course, no visit to Derbyshire would ever be complete without calling in on one of our most regal of historic country seats, Chatsworth.
Our King has visited the Chatsworth Estate many times over the years, including attending the funeral of the late Dowager Duchess of Devonshire with the then Duchess of Cornwall in 2014, walking behind the hearse immediately after the Duke of Devonshire, en-route to St Peter’s in the estate village of Edensor.
Charles visited Chatsworth again in more happy circumstances shortly after, when elements of the Chelsea Flower Show’s medal-winning Laurent Perrier Garden had been transferred to the site which inspired it.
A tour of the naturalistically planted Trout Stream followed, hosted by the Duchess of Devonshire and landscape designer Dan Pearson.
Much of his diary may now be filled with pomp and ceremony, the coronation included, but no doubt King Charles III would still revel in such moments of quiet contemplation.
Our proud county looks forward to welcoming Charles once more in the future, this time in his role as King.
