Duke of Edinburgh: Prince Edward in first visit as award patron

The duke fed animals at Stonebridge City Farm in Nottingham

Prince Edward has visited the East Midlands for the first time as patron of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

The prince was bestowed the title of the Duke of Edinburgh on his 59th birthday on Friday by his brother King Charles.

He will now take on the patronages for the award that were previously held by his father, Prince Philip, who founded the scheme in 1956.

He said taking on the role was "an honour and quite a responsibility".

The Duke of Edinburgh visited young people in Derby and Nottingham on Tuesday in his first public appearance representing the awards.

He met DofE volunteers at Stonebridge City Farm in Nottingham, and participants boosting their careers through DofE Business at Balfour Beatty's national hub in Derby.

The Duke of Edinburgh is now patron of the awards scheme set up by his father

He said: "Some say The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is in my DNA - it's certainly been a major part of my life for a very long time.

"Being asked to take on the role of patron after my father is a particular honour and quite a responsibility.

"Sustaining and enhancing what is arguably his greatest legacy around the world matters a great deal to me, as does pursuing the award's long-term ambition of universal access so that every eligible young person has the opportunity to participate."

Jack Harris, senior operations manager for the DofE award, said: "DofE is something I'm really passionate about and when I was a young person myself, I did the DofE and it's really helped me in terms of my career.

"It's fantastic to see the benefits of the award on young people and actually what's really great is how the charity's evolving to ensure it stays relevant to those young people."