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Prince Charles starts 15th summer tour of Wales

Prince Charles in on his 15th summer tour of Wales

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall have begun their 15th summer tour of Wales.

The visit coincides with the 50th anniversary of Charles's investiture as Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle.

The prince's first call was at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff for a memorial service for 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, of which he is the colonel-in-chief.

The couple have 20 engagements over the course of the week-long visit.

The regimental mascot, Tpr Emrys Forlan Jones
The regimental mascot, Tpr Emrys Forlan Jones, waits outside the cathedral's entrance
PA Media Prince CharlesPA Media
Prince Charles at the dedication service in Llandaff Catherdral
Prince Charles with the family of a fallen soldier
Prince Charles met the family of L/Cpl Richard Scanlan who was killed in Afghanistan in 2011

At the cathedral, the regiment held a service of dedication and laying up its old standard to mark its 60th anniversary.

Following the service the prince moved on to Nantgarw in Rhondda Cynon Taff, where Connect Assist, the call centre of the Prince's Trust charity he established is based.

He met staff who handle calls from around 72,000 young people each year.

One was Bethan George, 22, who got a job on the helpline after completing a Prince's Trust programme.

She said: "I showed him a live chat where young people message us online. He said that was a really helpful way to come through."

Another member of staff, Kim Willett, baked cakes along with her daughter for all 200 members of staff to share. The prince cut one of the cakes, decorated with the Prince's Trust emblem.

Ms Willett said: "[It was] a lot of pressure when [they] told me who it was for but I enjoy baking. It's something I enjoy doing in my spare time so I just took the challenge on."

Cake
Kim Willetts baked five cakes for the 200 staff at Connect Assist
PA Media Prince Charles with horse loggers in LlantrisantPA Media
Prince Charles with horse loggers in Llantrisant

The final visit of the day saw him visit Tyn-y-Coed forest in nearby Llantrisant to meet horse loggers - tree clearance using horses rather than mechanical extraction - to see the work they carry out, as patron of the British Horse Loggers.

He also presented the Prince of Wales trophy to the winner of the horse loggers woodland management award.

The couple will visit enterprises across south and mid Wales in the coming days before moving on to north Wales at the end of the week.

During that time they will host an evening of music and drama at their west Wales home of Llwynywermod in Carmarthenshire.