Prince Charles supports Clutha helicopter tragedy fund

Charles and Camilla admired the mural outside the Clutha bar

Prince Charles has given his support to a charity in memory of 10 people who died in the Clutha helicopter crash.

During a visit to the Glasgow pub where a police helicopter crashed, he signed a ukulele which will be auctioned to raise funds for the Clutha Trust.

The Duchess of Cornwall also signed the instrument during the visit.

The Prince previously visited the site days after the tragedy on 29 November 2013, to speak to survivors and emergency workers.

During that visit, he also signed a book of condolence at the City Chambers in Glasgow.

On a return visit with his wife Camilla, the prince was greeted by Clutha owner, Alan Crossan, and stopped to admire the mural of well-known faces painted on the outside of the bar, including one of comic Spike Milligan who the Prince admired.

Bar drink

The royal couple, known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, passed through the Clutha to the bar's garden area where they met representatives from the Clutha Trust, a charity working to support young people in the aftermath of the crash.

They were also met by members of the Prince's Trust, the Gorbals Barn Project and Royston Youth Action.

Charles signed and dated the ukulele before enjoying a drink in the adjoining Victoria bar and listening to a performance by musicians from the Prince's Trust.

The Clutha has been shut since the night of the tragedy, with building work ongoing to refurbish the property.

Ukulele signed by Charles and Camilla

Earlier, Charles visited the fire-damaged Glasgow School of Art (GSA) as funds continue to be raised for repair work to its iconic Mackintosh building.

The Grade-A listed structure was badly damaged in a blaze on 23 May last year as students were preparing for their degree shows.

Charles donned a hard hat to go inside and see the damage and the plans to restore the famous building, which was designed and built more than a century ago.

GSA director Prof Tom Inns and Muriel Gray, chairwoman of its board of governors, took the Prince to former studios destroyed in the east wing of the building, and he was shown an original lantern from the Mackintosh chandelier that was recovered in excavation work after the fire.

'Genuinely shocked'

As a patron of the school, Charles was said to be "genuinely shocked" by the extent of the damage on his first visit since the fire.

Prof Inns said: "He's always been a great supporter of the school. He's very passionate about traditional crafts and art and design - all things that are important to us as a school and as part of the work to bring this building back.

"He had seen pictures of the damage but he was genuinely shocked to see it up close.

"He was explaining how the Royal Family dealt with the Windsor Castle fire so I think he really understands how complex it is to deal with something like this."

Restoration work led by Page-Park Architects is expected to start in spring next year with the hope that there will be academic access from 2017/18.

A fire investigation last year confirmed that the blaze began when a projector ignited gases from expanding foam used in a student project.

Prof Inns added: "The fundraising will continue, there is insurance money but there are a lot of things we need to do that are out-with what that covers.

"The exact amount is still to be determined but we're looking at somewhere between £25m and £35m to restore it fully and bring it back as an art school."