The Prince of Wales lived up to his reputation as ‘One Pint Willy’ when he recoiled while sampling local Cornish gin with the Duchess of Edinburgh at the Royal Cornwall Show today. 

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Edinburgh arrived today in Wadebridge,  Cornwall for a rare joint engagement as patrons of the Royal Agricultural Association that organises the show. 

This year’s edition marks the first time that William – who is known as the Duke of Cornwall when he is in the region – has attended the event and it appeared the day was off to a flying start as he tried gin at one of the stalls. 

 It comes after Mike Tindall revealed he nicknamed William ‘One Pint Willy’ because ‘he is not the best of drinkers’ during a podcast appearance in 2023. 

Zara Tindall’s husband, the Ex-England rugby star, said: ‘He is known to me as One Pint Willy because he is not the best of drinkers, coming from a sport where it is built on the social aspect and a couple of beers being sunk quite often. 

‘That is one I will give away for the Prince of Wales.’ 

And it appeared Mike’s observation was spot on as William’s eyes widened after he took a sip of his gin drink at the Royal Cornwall Show after he and Sophie raised their cups at the show. 

William and Sophie appeared comfortable and relaxed in each other’s presence, as the royals shared a good-natured laugh after they arrived at the agricultural show on Friday, June 6. 

The pair opted for smart casual ensembles, with the Duke of Cornwall picking a grey sport coat with a light blue shirt for his visit. He completed the look with a navy tie and matching accessories. 

Still sporting the beard that left royal fans swooning, William greeted well-wishers who had gathered outside the venue in Wadebridge in Cornwall. 

Meanwhile, Sophie was beaming as she waved at crowds, with the Duchess also wearing a greige checked blazer that she paired with a tan, calf-length skirt and a light pink shirt. 

She finished her outfit with burgundy boots and a forest green bag with tan accents, and accessorised with a diamond pendant necklace and timeless gold hoops. 

Sophie’s makeup was fresh and dewy, as the mother-of-two wore a light layer of foundation, the faintest hint of blush, and a soft pink lipstick for the occasion. 

Upon their arrival, their Royal Highnesses were shown around the Royal Cornwall Food and Farming Pavillion as they inspected dozens of stalls stocked with artisanal food and drink from producers across the region. 

At the gin stand, William joked he could ‘see what today’s going to be like’ before he and Sophie were shown a number of varieties before being given one to try. 

After a bit more talking, he caught the Duchess going for another sip and he joked to her: ‘You’re not allowed to finish it. You’ve got to watch her.’

Sophie quipped: ‘He’s learnt from the best.’

William then joked back: “I’ve been caught out with whisky a few too many times. I think I can do that and then oh no I couldn’t.”

He and Sophie were also given a pasty by Ferguson Miller, 45, Amelia Jones, 25, and Alan Anderson, 69, of Anns Pasties.

William said: ‘Ah, the pasties arrived! They’re hot as well. There’s been a few people I passed on the way here with their pasties ready to go. Too good. I’m going to save this for my lunch. Trying to talk and eat is a nightmare.’

They then moved to cider stand Healeys Cyder Farm, after stopping off to pet a dog.

William said: ‘Look at the Rattler selection, ah definitely I’m happy about that.’

Head of hospitality Laura Clerehugh, 36, said, ‘I was going to say, you’ve had a rattler.”

William responded: ‘Everyone remembers where they were when they had their first Rattler I can tell you that.

 ‘You remember the first, you don’t remember the last.’

He then asked about the ‘zero’ on the bottle, and when told that it meant zero alcohol he put the cup down and said: ‘Oh no, no, no. I need original. Someone bring out the big guns.’

Laura said afterwards: ‘It’s great isn’t it. Having a royal visit, the excitement, bringing people into the county, celebrating the county, showing off all the amazing food and drink we make.’

During the show, William also visited the Duchy of Cornwall hub, days after he revealed his fresh approach for the estate he inherited from his father upon King Charles’ accession to the throne.

In an interview with The Telegraph’s Royal Editor Hannah Furness, who spent a day travelling alongside the Prince of Wales, 42, as he visited his tenants, the royal shared how he was modernising the land and property empire.

This includes encouraging people involved with the Duchy to speak openly, with the Prince telling his staff to ‘please give [everyone] proper authority to say what’s really going on. Not being polite because I’m in the room,’ ahead of a meeting in Dartmoor. 

Elsewhere, Matthew Morris, the rural director of the Duchy, revealed how employees ‘no longer feel the need to put on a tie when the Duke of Cornwall is in town’ – perhaps unlike when Charles – who is often smartly dressed in a full suit – visited.

The publication also noted how William will communicate with staff via WhatsApp and ask questions over the social media platform in order to keep updated.

But while the Prince is seemingly taking a more modern approach to the estate compared to his father, the pair do share a ‘healthy impatience’.

Ben Murphy, estate director, admitted that the royal has a ‘healthy impatience, as his father did’, while secretary Will Bax said the father-of-three is ‘pretty ambitious’ and ‘pretty demanding’, which he added, is ‘great’.

He added that the Prince – who is looking to improve the estate so it has even more of a positive social impact, while keeping its key community spirit – and his team are ‘seeking to remove any ambiguity’.

The aim for the Duchy’s mission, which is to deliver a positive impact for people, places and the planet, to be more understood by the public comes after the property and land empire, as well as the King’s estate, the Duchy of Lancaster were investigated by a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary: The King, The Prince & Their Secret Millions.

In line with the Royal Cornwall Show’s efforts to spotlight rural mental health, William met the heads of local charities at the Duchy of Cornwall hub, which aligns closely with the Duke’s passion for supporting the mental health of his farming tenants. 

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Edinburgh visited two organisations of which she is Patron, including LEAF that promotes sustainable food and farming practices, 

She also stopped by the Girl Guides and asked about their work helping at the show. 

She joked about them using a paper system at the show, saying it was best and adding: ‘You’d end up having to revert back to it anyway, when the WiFI goes down.’

She asked about their volunteers and said it was ‘fantastic’. She was told about the different jobs they help with, including wristbands.

She then spoke to a number of the young girls and joked they must all have ‘sore feet’ by the end of the day of the show.

One girl told her she had done 7,937 steps yesterday.

Sophie also said to them: ‘You’re actually still at school at the moment, are you? Cornwall Show is a really good thing for the county so the school gives you the day off yeah?’

One girl said she had an INSET day, to which Sophie responded: ‘Oh that’s lucky!’

She also spoke with representatives at LEAF before moving to see cows, pigs and sheep.

She handed a trophy to the Beef Team of Five Supreme for their winning cows.

She tickled one pigs foot and said ‘wakey wakey’ when she peered over into one stye that had a sleeping pig.

She said to one girl who helped groom a prize-winning sheep: ‘They are beautiful. Very lovely. You have done a great job. I hope you are pleased with yourself. 

‘They are looking really spectacular.’

Prince William and the Duchess of Edinburgh then signed the visitor’s book. 

The show is run by The Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association and has been going for over 200 years with the aim to promote and support the further improvement of agriculture, associated industries, and the people within it. 

The last time Sophie attended the show, first established in 1973, was in 2014. 

William and Sophie’s latest appearance comes after the heir caused quite the stir on social media after posting photos in his Air Corps uniform.

Fans couldn’t stop swooning over the future king and Colonel-in-Chief, 42, as he donned the classic buttoned-up camo uniform and a grey beret during a visit to the Army Air Corps (ACC) in Wattisham, Suffolk, earlier this week on Wednesday. 

The Prince of Wales, who also sported a scruffy beard, shared a series of photos from the outing to his and his wife Kate Middleton’s official Instagram afterwards.

One photo showed Prince William starring intensely at a computer screen, while another featured him passing out meals to soldiers and their families.

A different shot saw the Duke of Cornwall walking as he looked off to the side.

People rushed to the comment section and were ecstatic to see William all dressed up in the uniform and rocking some facial hair, with some calling him ‘handsome’ and others branding him ‘hot.’

‘Well, I think I can speak on behalf of womankind… we are HERE for the beard,’ one user wrote.

‘Dear god…! Our future kings is not supposed to be this hot,’ another person shared.

‘Prince William has entered his DILF era…’ joked someone else.