King Charles braved heavy rain to meet the Mighty Mariner mascot and offered the assistance of his head forester to plant thousands of trees during a visit to the seaside town of Grimsby.
Royal Visit to Blundell Park
The King was presented with a personalised Grimsby Town Football Club shirt bearing the number three and 'HM King Charles' on the back by the Mighty Mariner mascot at the club's Blundell Park in Cleethorpes, north-east Lincolnshire. Dozens of people waited in the downpour for the King's arrival, holding umbrellas, Union flags, and a banner with Charles's face, while neighbours watched from upstairs windows.
Engagement with Our Future Collective
The King met with people and organisations involved in the Our Future collective, a charity aimed at creating citizen-led change, to discuss their plans for Grimsby. Simon Beeton, chief executive of Navigo, the mental health provider in Grimsby, noted that the King was 'clearly very well connected' and offered to link them with his head forester to plant trees. Beeton said: 'The guys who were looking at 10,000 new trees for Grimsby, for example, he's going to put them in contact with his head gardener. It's like wow, he wasn't passively listening, he very actively listens.'
Light-Hearted Moments with Staff
Francine Orr, ticket office manager for the football club, shared a laugh with Charles when he met staff. She said: 'We were briefed on what we should say and what we shouldn't say, how we should bow and how we should curtsey. I've had it in my brain all morning then he comes up to me… and he shakes my hand and I said 'All right darling, oh no, I'm so sorry Your Majesty'. He went 'That's OK', and he laughed and he stood back and he went 'I like being called darling'.' She added: 'He was so down to earth. Lovely, lovely man.'
Visits to Youth Zone and Care Hub
Earlier on Thursday, the King toured the Horizon Youth Zone in Grimsby, chatting with school children, cadets, and scouts. He observed the climbing wall, sports hall, and training kitchen, where teenagers made pizza muffins. He joked about missing school and asked about Grimsby Town's victory over Manchester United in the Carabao Cup. The King's second stop was at The Care Hub, a community care and housing organisation. He met staff and beneficiaries, including Liam Atkinson, 26, who said: 'He's so down to earth. He's so kind. So considerate. He seemed to care, which is amazing.'
