Skip to main content

Prince Charles Visits Urban Farm and Wounded Soldiers in Washington USA Tour

It's a busy life being a Prince! Just a few days after taking his part as Father of the Groom at William and Catherine's wedding, Prince Charles flew off to the Washington in the USA on a tour where he concentrated on his passions of organic farming and environmental sustainability.

The two day USA tour starting 3rd May 2011 was the first offical engagement by Prince Charles since William and Catherine's Royal wedding, which enthralled not only the UK but millions of Americans too. It is Charles' first visit to the USA in four years.

On Tuesday 3rd May, Prince Charles visited the Supreme Court at Washington DC, where he attended a reception for the past graduates of the Marshall Scholars program. Since its inception in 1953, the program has sent over 1,000 of the United States' top students to UK universities for a year or more to strengthen the relationshp and understanding of the two countries through these young scholars.

Princh Charles Visits the Common Good City Farm and the Supreme Court in Washington, USA

Later the same day he visited the Common Good City Farm in Washington DC's LeDroit Park. This small urban farm was built on the site of an abandoned baseball field. It allows low-income North West Washington residents to grow their own produce whilst learning about sustainable growing practises. Hundreds of people turned up to the event and Charles discussed irrigation tips with some of the residents. He watched a cookery demontration, planted a redbud tree and was given flowers as a memento. After the visit, the local Mayor said that Prince Charles appeared to have been delighted at the project.

To round the day off, the Prince attended a reception for the United Service Organizations and the British Forces Foundation at the British Embassy in Washington DC. Whilst there, Charles met with injured soldiers who had been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. Captain Dawn Halfaker, who lost her right arm to a grenade in Iraq said that Charles's expression of caring and reallly heartfelt concern was just incredible and meant a lot. First Leitenant Andrew Kinard who lost both legs in Iraq to an Improvised Explosive Device said that the excitement in taking part, representing the military and Marine Corps was a really neat moment for him.