King Charles shares a laugh with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Deputy PM Angela Rayner on rare joint visit to show off his housing project in Cornwall

The King proudly showed off his passion housing project to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy, Angela Rayner, today.

The trio travelled down to Cornwall for an unprecedented public engagement together, with Charles offering the politicians a personal guided tour of Nansledan, a major 540-acre extension to the seaside town of Newquay he set in motion in 2014 when he was Prince of Wales.

Royal aides said they could not find any record of an engagement involving the sovereign and a prime minister – let alone a deputy too – outside of an official or state occasion.

The Duchy of Cornwall development will see up to 3,700 homes built in a new environmentally-friendly community with its own primary school, parkland, shops and businesses.

Sir Keir and his deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, who is also secretary for state for housing, communities and development, are said to be keen to see how a mixed use development works in line with their own much-debated pledge to build 1.5 million new homes in the UK within the next five years.

It is understood that The King has discussed housing with the prime minister during several of their meetings over the past few months.

As a result, His Majesty offered to show him round Nansledan, to see what the Duchy of Cornwall has achieved.

After visiting a community orchards and kitchen, the King and his guests walked to Nansledan School, a two-form entry primary school, designed and built by the Duchy of Cornwall and officially opened by His Majesty in March 2020.

King Charles shares a joke with Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a tour of the Newquay Orchard

Across fourteen classrooms it now hosts 361 pupils, with a total capacity of 420 pupils.

The school has been designed to promote the ‘sustainable ethos’ of the Nansledan urban development to inform and shape their curriculum.

The King, Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister were greeted by 90 flag-waving pupils, with one youngster asking the King: ‘Do you live in a palace?’

Rayner was wearing a green coat and distinctive animal print ‘brothel creeper’ shoes – not the normal choice of footwear for a royal engagement. ‘You’re not too cold are you?’ enquired the King.

Inside, the trio stepped into the sport hall to watch the children taking part in a variety of activities. The King and Rayner chatted away like old friends.

Upstairs they split as the King went into a cooking class while the politicians sat in on a science lesson. Both were looking at the difference of substances such as bicarbonate of soda and flour.

The King chatted away with the children who were among vanilla cupcakes, peppering the children with questions about what they were making.

‘Is this part of a special project?’ He asked. ‘Are you giving this a good mix?’

The King proudly showed off his passion housing project to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy, Angela Rayner , today

The trio travelled down to Cornwall for an unprecedented public engagement together

Charles offered the politicians a personal guided tour of Nansledan, a major 540-acre extension to the seaside town of Newquay he set in motion in 2014 when he was Prince of Wales

Royal aides said they could not find any record of an engagement involving the sovereign and a prime minister – let alone a deputy too – outside of an official or state occasion. Pictured, the King, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister 

The Duchy of Cornwall development will see up to 3,700 homes built in a new environmentally-friendly community with its own primary school, parkland, shops and businesses

Sir Keir and his deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, who is also secretary for state for housing, communities and development, are said to be keen to see how a mixed use development works in line with their own much-debated pledge to build 1.5 million new homes in the UK within the next five years

When one of the children told him the mixtures kept getting stuck in his whisk, he said; ‘Oh that’s really annoying isn’t it? You can get a knife and try and dig it out. At what point is it ready? By the time you go home will you have them ready to eat?‘

He was rejoined by Sir Keir and Ms Rayner to meet the school’s eco council before going outside to view some of the incredible outdoor spaces and activities it boasts.

They got the giggles at one little boy who was telling them about how he could remember something even though it was ‘five years ago’.

‘Well for you that’s half your life,’ the prime minister replied sympathetically. ‘You remember it, that’s impressive,’ smiled the King.

The monarch was particularly enthused by the school’s new gardening facilities where some of the children were planting out herbs they could touch, smell and taste.

One teacher explained how it was part of a calm area. ‘Do you rent it out?’ Joked the prime minister. Charles chuckled loudly.

They also stopped by a wood pile joking named ‘Buginham Palace’. The King laughed. ‘There are so many chicken houses named Cluckingham Palace. There’s endless fun in it,’ he said.

The group stopped to speak to more flag-waving youngsters as they left, the politicians allowing the King to stop each time and chat first.

After visiting a community orchards and kitchen, the King and his guests walked to Nansledan School, a two-form entry primary school, designed and built by the Duchy of Cornwall and officially opened by His Majesty in March 2020

Across fourteen classrooms it now hosts 361 pupils, with a total capacity of 420 pupils. The school has been designed to promote the ‘sustainable ethos’ of the Nansledan urban development to inform and shape their curriculum

Inside, the trio stepped into the sport hall to watch the children taking part in a variety of activities. The King and Rayner chatted away like old friends

The King, Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister were greeted by 90 flag-waving pupils, with one youngster asking the King: ‘Do you live in a palace?’

It is understood that The King has discussed housing with the prime minister during several of their meetings over the past few months. As a result, His Majesty (pictured centre) offered to show him round Nansledan, to see what the Duchy of Cornwall has achieved

Afterwards The King, Sir Keir and Ms Rayner took a five minute stroll to the nearby Kew An Lergh development to meet businesses and members of the local community at Sabzi Café, before viewing the recently opened Nansledan Community Centre.

Kew An Lergh, meaning ‘Way Close’ in Cornish, was completed in 2023 by a team of local tradesmen and apprentices.

It is home to a diverse range of businesses, including nursery school Naturally Learning, vintage clothing store Love of Lemons, Digital Marketing Agency Solve Web Media, TV Production company Beagle Media, Accountancy practice Linggard and Thomas and The Loft Yoga studio.

They stopped several times to speak to well-wishers waiting to catch a glimpse.

‘It’s lovely here, isn’t?’ asked the prime minister of one lady. ‘The lay out…. I can see why you would want to live her.’ ‘It’s just wonderful,’ she replied. ‘It’s such a great community.’

Another woman told the King: ‘You’ve made it a dream to live her. Thank you, thank you so much.’

Many of the locals appeared to either know the King or have met him personally previously, warmly greeting him.

When the King – who didn’t stop smiling throughout the engagement – asked one man how he was, he replied; ‘More importantly how are you? Look after yourself, please.’

Rayner was wearing a green coat and distinctive animal print ‘brothel creeper’ shoes – not the normal choice of footwear for a royal engagement

King Charles, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner view ‘Phase 8A’, the next building phase of Nansledan, as they walk to the Kew An Lergh development, a home to a diverse range of businesses

The King meets a refugee family from Afghanistan at the Nansledan Community Centre at the Kew An Lergh development

Another lady gave him a sweet picture from her daughter, Ivy-Grace, of himself saying: ‘You’re the only best king in the world.’

Many of the locals chatted enthusiastically about living in Nansledan and what the King had built.

Ms Rayner told a group of builders: ‘I’ve got a few plans’. ‘So we hear!’ one replied cheekily.

In the Sabzi cafe the trio chatted to locals about the economic and social impact of Nansledan and how it is founded on the concepts of sustainable development and mixed use.

The King and his guests also visited the newly opened Nansledan Community Centre, which provides a venue for cultural events, support groups and wellbeing sessions, and met a family of refugees from Afghanistan who told him how much they loved it there.

And before they left the group walked to the ‘Phase 8A’ construction site, meeting apprentices and construction workers, to learn more about the next building phase of Nansledan, including Market Street, its proposed new high street.

When completed, Nansledan will deliver up to 3,700 homes and to date just over 840 homes have been completed, alongside 40 established businesses, the two-form entry primary school, children’s nursery, play areas, greens, sports pitches, orchards and a 75-acre public park, including 50 acres of wildflower meadows.

The Nansledan development promotes low carbon lifestyles through the provision of low carbon housing, within walking distance of workspaces, shops, infrastructure and community facilities, all set within a diverse and active environment which enhances local biodiversity, amenity and physical and mental health.

It even features bee bricks for solitary bees; bird boxes for swifts, sparrows, starlings and house martins; and fruit trees, orchards and allotments to promote home-grown produce and healthy eating.

Cornish granite and slate drawn from quarries in Cornwall feature in many buildings and structures.

It is understood that Sir Keir and Ms Rayner flew on the official RAF Envoy from Northolt to Brize Norton in Oxfordshire to pick up the King, who had stayed at Highgrove, his Gloucestershire home, at the weekend after an official event on Friday night.

They then all flew on to Newquay together and returned to the airfield at Northolt together. They travelled in separate cars in a convoy during the day due to security protocols.

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