The Prince of Wales was hugged by a well-wisher when he stepped onto a Welsh beach to thank young marine conservationists for raising awareness about the important coastline.
William travelled to Colwyn Bay in north Wales to learn about the work of the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) Youth Ocean Network, which has been publicising the wildlife-rich area to their peers and adults.
The future King spent his day in the region highlighting opportunities and activities for young people, and joined some of them for a game of pool at an organisation called Youth Shedz, providing safe spaces for youngsters at its headquarters in the village of Mochdre.
Upon his arrival in Colwyn Bay, the Prince engaged with dozens of people waiting on the promenade. He was hugged by one woman and told another well-wisher, "You’ve been her for a while, I can tell – you’ve got the coldest hands." He also posed for numerous selfies, even assisting Tracy Earl, 61, in capturing the moment on her smartphone.
Ms Earl recounted the interaction: "He was so polite, he said to me: ‘Have you had to wait a long time?’ And he even said to me: ‘Your phone’s on video I’ll put it on camera,’ to get the selfie."
Under bright winter sunshine, William chatted with young volunteers and Gareth Cunningham, the MCS director of conservation and policy.
After a stroll along a stretch of beach near the town centre, he visited a nearby restaurant. There, he addressed a group involved in the MCS’s two-year Hiraeth Yn Y Mor (Longing for the Sea) project, which concluded in March, telling them: "I know it’s difficult to keep interest in marine things, well done for keeping going."
This initiative saw young people collaborate with coastal communities in Prestatyn, Rhyl, and Kinmel Bay to deepen their understanding of the sea's benefits, enhance the sustainable management of local marine heritage, and promote the health and well-being advantages of connecting with the ocean.
Mr Cunningham later praised the Prince's engagement, stating: "There was proper engagement, you could see he was really passionate about the project and encouraging us to do more as well."
He emphasised the significance of the waters off Colwyn Bay, adding: "The whole bay here is globally important for sea birds, it is a really important bit of coastline, but it’s about how we regenerate the sea and: how do we do that with people’s engagement?"
He continued, "So it’s starting to bring back oysters and other species, that will clean up the water, but also do it in a way that will help people’s health, their engagement, their wellbeing and their livelihoods as well."
The Prince has a personal connection to North Wales, having spent the early years of his marriage based on nearby Anglesey, where he flew search and rescue missions with the RAF.
He concluded his day in the area by attending a comedy workshop led by comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean, co-founder of Gwneud, Make, Do, a comedy school for adults and children.
William watched as young participants improvised the pantomime Cinderella in under a minute, while another group condensed Aladdin into 60 seconds. He laughed at the surreal and madcap performances, telling Ms Pritchard-McLean at the end: "You’ve laid a good groundwork for any wanting to go on in the future."
