King Charles was pictured laughing as he ‘played’ a carrot during a reception at Windsor Castle this evening.
Some 350 guests joined the monarch, 76, at the Berkshire event, which sought to recognise those involved in community music across the UK.
Those attendees included leaders of community music groups and music-related projects, many of whom are volunteers
Among the guests were members of the London Vegetable Orchestra (LVO), which describes itself as ‘the UK’s only ensemble offering audiences “Home Grown” entertainment’.
According to the LVO’s website: ‘The instruments are made up of hand-crafted local vegetables, and they sound as incredible as they look!’
And His Majesty was not shy when it came to getting in the spirit of things, laughing as he played one of the orchestra’s musical carrots.
The LVO, all of whose members are professional musicians, was formed more than 10 years ago by students studying at the Royal Academy of Music.
‘The LVO features a mouth-watering selection of courgettes, peppers, potatoes, swedes and butternut squash, accompanying a soaring line-up of carrot recorders which are made by our resident recorder-making superstar, Tim Cranmore,’ says its website.
King Charles showed he was not afraid to get stuck into the fun, as he joined members of the London Vegetable Orchestra in ‘playing’ a carrot at a Windsor Castle reception this evening
His Majesty (pictured, right) appeared to thoroughly enjoy his conversation with some members of the LVO (pictured)
Among its work, the LVO has performed at ‘private events, educational and instrument crafting workshops, advertising campaigns’, all across the globe.
Its work reached many new listeners during Christmas 2024, when a video of it performing Jingle Bells went viral, gaining 11 million views on Instagram – and many new fans from around the world.
One image showed King Charles joining members of the orchestra as they too played carrots.
And one of the musicians appeared to be creating music from a butternut squash.
Meanwhile, another image appeared to show some guests intently studying an instrument which looked like it had been crafted from a swede.
At one point, four of the professional musicians grabbed their veggies and treated the assembled guests to a performance.
Lucky guests were treated to a performance by members of the orchestra (pictured) playing instruments that ‘sound as good as they taste’
Guests at the event were seen intently studying one of the instruments, which was created from a root vegetable
Earlier this month, Charles spoke about his lifelong appreciation for music in a broadcast recorded at Buckingham Palace to mark Commonwealth Day 2025.
According to the Palace, the broadcast ‘offers an exclusive insight into His Majesty’s relationship with music from around the Commonwealth – including artists stretching from 1930s crooners to Afrobeats stars, as well as disco divas and reggae icons’.
He said: ‘Throughout my life, music has meant a great deal to me. I know that is also the case for so many others.
‘It has that remarkable ability to bring happy memories flooding back from the deepest recesses of our memory, to comfort us in times of sadness, and to take us to distant places.
‘But perhaps, above all, it can lift our spirits to such a degree, and all the more so when it brings us together in celebration. In other words, it brings us joy.’
Charles (pictured, right) showed off his love for music – and willingness to embrace all types of the art – during the event this evening
While he clearly appeared to enjoy the event, His Majesty (pictured) also seemed to take playing the carrot quite seriously
The community event came after the King swapped stories about travelling in Papua New Guinea as he unveiled a new aid plane today which will serve the remote country where he is still monarch.
Charles, now back at work following his brief hospitalisation last week as a result of side effects from his cancer treatment, was at RAF Northolt to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), a humanitarian air operator which flies to 14,000 remote destinations offering support to isolated communities.
His Majesty unveiled the charity’s new Cessna 208 Caravan by pushing a large red button that dramatically unveiled a huge curtain in an aircraft hangar to unveil the new plane.
He also met members of the Papua New Guinea (PNG) community in celebration of their 50th Anniversary of Independence from Australia.
Charles, who is known as ‘Di King’ in Pigin English – and had previously been known as the ‘nambawan pikinini bilong misis kwin’ – the number one child belonging to Mrs Queen -has visited PNG four times since the 1960s, most recently in 2022, located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, 1,500 miles from Australia.
A mountainous country with extreme weather patterns, around 75 per cent is inaccessible by road meaning air aid is vital.
Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) was founded at the end of the Second World War by a group of RAF officers who wished to use the flight skills they had acquired in wartime to build a world in peace.
MAKING BEAUTIFUL MUSIC: The King spoke out earlier this month about his appreciation for all types of music, during a broadcast celebrating Commonwealth Day 2025
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are pictured with members of the London Vegetable Orchestra
Today, MAF flights deliver vital support including access to medicine, technology and education in 14,000 areas across the globe.
The King, wearing a suit and lapel badges of the RAF and RAF Veterans, met with the CEO of MAF, Donovan Palmer, before meeting pilot Joseph Tua, who will fly the plane in PNG.
Charles chatted animatedly about his previous visits to the country.
Mr Tua, whose face was painted in traditional style and the colours of PNG, said: ‘He first visited in the 1960s and was keen to talk about what he witnessed. He was asking about the weather, he said he had never seen storms like it, and how we flew in it.
‘You either go above, below, to the side or not at all! I fly everything from food, sweet potatoes, coffee, rubber, children going to school, teachers, emergency medicine. Everything. I sometimes call the plane a Time Machine as you go back into the 1940 and 50s every time you take off from the capital and fly somewhere else on the island.‘
The King stood silently while a blessing was given on the plane by Chaplain The Venerable Dr Giles Legood, who also welcome the late Queen’s coffin back to RAF Northolt.
King Charles (pictured) is now back at work following his brief hospitalisation last week as a result of side effects from his cancer treatment
He was then shown round the new plane by Mr Tua and pilot instructor Simon Wunderli, pepping them with questions about the aircraft.
‘It’s wonderful,’ he said. ‘I just can’t believe you will be flying it back [to Papua New Guinea]. Do give them all my best wishes.’
Mr Wunderli said afterwards that the King had talked at length about his own experiences flying. ‘He still got the lingo. You can see how much he loved it. You never forget.’
He also viewed a 1930s de Havilland Dragon Rapide bi-plane, the same model which was used by the charity to establish flight operations in Sudan in 1950, when missions were often conducted across uncharted territories with little more than a map and compass.
MAF was started by Jack Hemmings, who died earlier this year at the age of 103.
His son, Adrian, 73, said it was a ‘bittersweet’ day for him as his father would have loved meeting the King.
‘He flew a Spifire at the age of 102 so he died doing what he loved,’ he said.
‘He was known as ‘Crasher Jack’ as he survived some pretty terrible crashes, one which left doctors saying he would never walk again. I am so proud of his legacy but I know he would have loved to meet the King.’
During an earlier engagement, King Charlesunveils the Cessna plane in the hanger at RAF Northolt as he celebrates the 80th Anniversary of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)
The High Commissioner of PNG, Her Excellency Betty Palaso, presented His Majesty to members of the UK’s Papua New Guinean community, including some of the country’s Rugby League players, representing Castleford Tigers in the Super League: Judah Rimbu, Liam Horne, Sylvester Namo and Jeremiah Simbiken.
The King asked them: ‘Have you settled well here? I can see a few injuries!’
MAF is believed to be the world’s largest humanitarian air operator. It operates a fleet of 117 light aircraft in more than 25 low-income countries, including the Commonwealth nations of Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Arnhem Land in Australia.
Working in partnership with governments and other organisations, MAF flights fly food to market, deliver building equipment, transport teachers and carry out medical evacuations.
MAF began operating in PNG in 1951.
