The Prince of Wales showed off his dancing skills as he made a surprise appearance at a tea party held at Highgrove in honor of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The 73-year-old heir to the throne showed off his moves during the Prince’s Foundation event which took place yesterday, ahead of his platinum jubilee celebrations later this week.
Charles spun his dancing partner around the dance floor and dazzled with his elegant footwork, before joining the audience and the band.
After taking to the dance floor, the royal sat down to tea and chatted with his guests, who included TV star Jools Holland and soul singer Ruby Turner.
The 73-year-old heir to the throne showed off his moves during the Prince’s Foundation event which took place yesterday, ahead of his platinum jubilee celebrations later this week.
The event, held as a way to combat loneliness and isolation within the community, saw local men and women enjoy afternoon tea with sandwiches, scones and a glass or two of Highgrove prosecco, while socializing and enjoying live music.
Little did the guests know that the prince would be joining them, and his entrance was greeted with delighted exclamations.
Immediately after arriving, Charles sat down with special guest Elizabeth Powell, from Highnam, who celebrated her 100th birthday on May 6.
He presented her with a bouquet of flowers from his gardens and a handwritten birthday card, the front of which was decorated with a print of one of his paintings.
Fantastic footwork! The Prince of Wales dazzled on the dance floor as he spun his fellow dancers
After showing off his dancing skills, the Prince of Wales chatted with the band present at the event
Holland and Turner got the room to sing Happy Centenary Birthday.
Mrs Powell said afterwards: “I am so amazed by everything, it is so beautiful here and Prince Charles was very nice, bless him.
“He wished me a happy birthday and asked if I was doing well and living on my own, which I do in a bungalow not far from my son, his wife and my grandchildren.”
She said she was “all set” to see the jubilee and was looking forward to attending a street party and village fete with her family.
Asked about her secret to a long life, she replied: “I like to have a glass of red wine in the evening. And sometimes I also have sherry at lunchtime.”
Guest Bridget Tibbs, who donned a vibrant red skirt for her evening of dancing, looked delighted to be dancing with the future king.
Charles took the time to greet the guests who came for tea and Highgrove yesterday
Revelers gathered around the heir to the throne during tea dancing. From left to right, Jools Holland, Ruby Turner and Patrick Grant were among those who received an invitation
Elizabeth Powell, who celebrated her 100th birthday on May 6, me with Jools Holland during the event
A local Lindy Hop group, Cheltenham Swing Dance, was on hand to get the dancing going.
After greeting most of the guests, Charles joined dancer Bridget Tibbs to tango to a rendition of Just Softly As A Morning Sunrise, performed by The Honeymoon Swing, with his entrance on the dance floor met with applause .
Mrs Tibbs said: “We were talking about dancing and then I said, ‘Would you like to dance for a bit’? I thought, you’ve got to ask. He came back a few minutes later and said, ‘Shall we do this dance?’
‘It was wonderful. He was very nice to dance with, good sense of rhythm, good take. It was a pleasure.
Mrs Tibbs, an alpaca farmer, added: “He was a pleasure to talk to and we had a good chat. I was actually talking to him about environmental issues and saying the work he does is amazing.”
Audrey Webber, 61, who started the Goodneighbor Cafe in Highnam, which began during the Covid-19 lockdowns as a support group for those feeling isolated, said: “It’s so important, what they’re doing here, especially after the lockdown, which has exacerbated people’s feelings of loneliness.
“Seeing the smiles on people’s faces today is so beautiful.”
Elizabeth, left, wearing a beautiful blue ensemble, looked delighted to have been introduced to crooner Jools Holland.
Jools Holland delighted guests with a piano performance at Highgrove’s dancing tea yesterday
Guests don their best clothes and hats to attend the glittering event in Gloucestershire
Charles was seen deep in conversation with Bridget as the pair enjoyed a spin around the room
Anna Gibbins, 64, from South Cerney, an Age UK volunteer whose husband recently died from dementia, said: “Older people often feel invisible but they have a role to play in society and many have hidden talents that we should all want to capitalize on.
“Events like this help people feel special, loved and connected.”
All guests at the tea ball were given a gift bag containing items donated by friends of the Prince’s Foundation, including a hand cream from Penhaligon, a tea cleanser from Halcyon Days, a scarf from Johnstons of Elgin .
It also included a David Austen cup or teacup and saucer, a voucher for a David Austen rose, Highgrove berry tea, a Platinum Jubilee key ring and candle and a mini Bramley hand wash or hand cream.
The Prince of Wales impressed with his moves on the dance floor as he and Bridget put on a show for the rest of the audience.
Dressed in an elegant gray suit and light blue tie, the heir to the throne graciously met his guests.
Other dancers soon joined Prince Charles and his partner on the dance floor as others looked on
Teaching them how it’s done! The heir to=-the-throne proved he was smooth on the dance floor
The guests started the afternoon by watching the various dancers who were entertained at tea yesterday
The dancers gathered in the center of the table to give their audience a proper show as Jools Holland played.
The first of four tea balls took place on Monday at the Garrison Chapel in Chelsea, the foundation’s exhibition space in west London, where pianist Joe Thompson and a choir featuring pupils from the nearby Francis Holland School they provided the entertainment.
A big event will be held at Dumfries House in Ayrshire on Wednesday, followed by another at Mey Castle in Caithness on Thursday.
The Prince’s Foundation hosts such events every three weeks at its Dumfries House headquarters with funding from the village’s Postcode Lottery.
Guests at the tea dances are identified by partner organizations across Britain including Age UK, East Ayrshire Vibrant Communities and Befriending Caithness.
To decorate each of the four venues, members of the Dumfries House Sewing Bee, another of the foundation’s initiatives aimed at providing people with a social environment, sewed thousands of triangles together to form flags.
Savile Row tailor Patrick Grant, co-presenter of the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee, helped put the finishing touches to the Ayrshire cottage pavilion print.
Simon Sadinsky, chief executive of the foundation, said: “Social isolation is a widespread problem that many have felt more than ever over the past two years, and it’s been great to see so many people enjoying the opportunity to socialise- se with others in their local communities.’
Ballerina Bridget also showed off her moves with fellow cast members who made her skirt flow gracefully as she danced
Bridget’s skirt flowed around her during another couple’s dance to the music of Jools Holland
Prince Charles first introduced himself to dancers who had come to entertain him at his event yesterday
The prince sat and chatted with centenarian Elizabeth Powell, right, during yesterday’s event
The heir to the throne listened intently as he and Elizabeth shared a few words over tea yesterday
Charles appeared relaxed during the event, where he met and chatted with several of his guests
The guests were seated around perfectly supported tables. The menu included scones and a selection of pastries and desserts
Dancers lit up the dance floor during the event at Highgrove yesterday, in honor of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
The guests seemed delighted by the swing dancers who had come yesterday to entertain at the tea by dancing.
Other dancers joined in as the afternoon progressed and yesterday was the Jubilee Dance Tea
