Prince Charles starts Wales tour in Aberdyfi

The Prince of Wales has kicked off a week-long tour of Wales with a visit to the seaside at Aberdyfi in Gwynedd.

Glorious sunshine greeted the prince as he enjoyed an ice cream and embarked on an hour-long walkabout chatting to some of the hundreds of people lining the main street.

The Duchess of Cornwall joins her husband on Tuesday.

The tour will focus on promoting tourism, supporting the royal couple's charities and the green economy.

The prince spoke to business owners, including Angela Knox, the owner of Aberdyfi Ice Creams.

It was there he enjoyed a strawberry ice cream which he said was "delicious".

'Promote the village'

He was also presented with home-made bara brith, a Welsh fruit cake.

Afterwards Mrs Knox said it was "fantastic" for the prince to visit, "especially when the weather is as beautiful as it is today".

"It will really help promote the village and all the wonderful things we have to offer visitors," she said.

The prince also met Clare Reeves, the owner of The Jewellery Workshop in Aberdyfi.

She told him she started in business 25 years ago with a grant of £1,000 from his Prince's Trust charity.

After being shown around the shop and workshop, the prince told her: "I'm so pleased. What you have done is really encouraging."

'Going strong'

Mrs Reeves, 46, said she wanted to thank the prince.

"The trust gave me support when I needed it most and now, 25 years later, I'm still going strong," she said.

"It wasn't just the grant money, it was the mentoring and advice that put me on the road to where I am today."

The trust is "good at what it does and so important for so many young people", she added.

The Duchess of Cornwall will join her husband on Tuesday where a highlight will be a reception at the couple's Welsh home, Llwynywermod in mid Wales, for young people involved in the Prince's Trust.