Royal Watch News

Prince Charles' baa-mazing close encounter

Nov 8, 2012, 12:02 GMT

Prince Charles

Britain's Prince Charles had a close encounter with a sheep today (08.11.12).

The Prince of Wales came face-to-face with the farm animal in Tasmania, Australia - where he is on the second leg of his Diamond Jubilee tour with Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall - when the four-legged ewe jumped in the air and landed in front of him.

Charles and Camilla were visiting the Thornbury family's Leenavale Sheep Stud when a merino sheep shot out of its pen in a desperate attempt to join its four-legged friends, but the prince - who was wearing a suit made out of Australian Merino wool - later joked about the incident when he visited the nearby city of Hobart.

Speaking to Melanie Rowe about her six-month-old trainee guide dog Indi, he asked the handler: 'How do you stop them cocking their legs?'

She replied: 'We were more worried about her jumping up,' and he then said: 'It's bad enough with merino sheep.'

The prince tried his hand at fleece-throwing during his visit to the Tasmanian farm - where the Thornbury family produce prized merino wool to make a number of luxury knitwear products such as jumpers and to use as cloth for Italian suits - and later played down his efforts.

After watching the animals being sheared he then tossed their old coats onto a table, and said sheepishly: 'I didn't do it too well.'

The royal couple - who recently visited Papua New Guinea - will complete their six-day visit of Australia on Saturday (10.11.12) when they fly to Auckland, New Zealand, to continue their Diamond Jubilee tour.