King speaks about heritage crafts with Matt Baker on Countryfile

The King will speak about his commitment to heritage crafts as part of a BBC Christmas special of Countryfile.

The festive programme, filmed at Charles’s Highgrove home in Gloucestershire, will showcase the work of the King’s Foundation’s education programmes, including painting, millinery and embroidery crafts.

Countryfile hosts Matt Baker, Margherita Taylor, and Adam Henson met staff from Charles’s charity for the programme while the royal residence was transformed into a festive wonderland in a sustainable way – another of the King’s passions.

Baker talked to Highgrove’s head gardener to harvest Charles’s Brussels sprouts and met students crafting things with timber.

He and Charles also had a “conversation about his commitment to the preservation of heritage crafts”.

The Countryfile Christmas At Highgrove episode will also feature Henson meeting a farmer moving his sheep to Highgrove’s meadow for grazing, and the royal chef preparing a Christmas feast.

The King’s Foundation offers education courses for almost 15,000 students annually, health and wellbeing programmes for nearly 2,000 people each year, and spearheads placemaking and regeneration projects in the UK and overseas to revitalise communities and historic buildings.

It acts as the custodian of Highgrove Gardens, home to education programmes in traditional and heritage crafts, including the Snowdon School of Furniture and the Metiers d’Arts Fellowship in partnership with Chanel and le19M.

Earlier this month, the King attended the royal residence for the annual Crafts at Christmas event, where he was presented with creations from the students.

The Countryfile episode follows on from Charles taking part in a 2023 special of The Repair Shop, where he showcased the work of the students – when the charity was called the Prince’s Foundation – as well as speaking about heritage crafts.

Countryfile Christmas At Highgrove airs on BBC One on December 22 from 5.30pm.

Published: 20/12/2024 by Radio NewsHub