Royal couple visit food bank ahead of Earthshot reception

The Princess of Wales checked sell-by dates on goods at the food bank

The Prince of Wales has met finalists of his Earthshot environmental prize for the first time in Windsor.

The annual awards scheme, created by Prince William, funds projects that aim to save the planet.

Before the meeting, William and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, paid a surprise visit to a food bank where they helped prepare parcels.

Staff at Foodshare, Windsor, learned of the visit just an hour before the couple's arrival on Thursday morning.

While at the food bank, Catherine checked sell-by dates on goods while William packed food for collection.

Prince William met Earthshot finalists at Cumberland Lodge

Foodshare chief executive Sarah Kember said: "William was very neat at packing.

"They were interested in what happens in our local area and interested in how the food bank started and how we get donations.

"They are welcome back any time, we are always grateful for a pair of hands."

The Earthshot Prize Fellowship Retreat is taking place at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor.

It is part of a nine-month programme to help the 15 finalists scale and refine their plans with a global alliance of 48 businesses, NGOs and philanthropists.

Prince William attended a break-out session with the Earthshot Prize finalists in Windsor

One of the finalists the prince met was Kaushik Kappagantulu, whose company Kheyti's Mission is aiming to increase climate resilience for smallholding farmers in India.

William praised the initiative and said: "Kenya and India are two countries that are really stepping up to the mark."

He also met Charlot Magayi, whose company Mukuru makes clean and reliable cook stoves for low-income households in western Kenya.

Ms Magayi started her business in 2017 because her daughter was burned by a traditional stove.

She said: "I grew up in a slum in Kenya, and that is the reason why my business is called Mukuru.

"So I wanted to create a stove for my community, and then we did, and it just blew up."