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6 months ago
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The King's 800-strong herd of the UK's rarest cattle breed has welcomed its newest arrivals - coinciding with the early May Bank Holiday and today's one-year anniversary of his coronation.
Eleven new calves have been born at Charles's favoured Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, which is also home to the King's Foundation, in the latest royal-backed boost for endangered animals.
The Vaynol cows at the estate are among the rarest not only in Britain but globally, with fewer than 150 breeding animals remaining anywhere in the world.
The breed is currently listed as 'critical' by the Rare Breed Survival Trust, which has the King - crowned at Westminster Abbey on this day last year - as its patron.
Charles and other members of the Royal Family have long been noted for their keenness to help rescue fast-disappearing British breeds.
Dumfries House, the King's estate in Ayrshire, has welcomed 11 new Vaynol calves - sharing this picture of one of them on the property's Facebook account
King Charles and Queen Camilla are seen here in Cumnock in Scotland in September 2021 ahead of a visit to Dumfries House
Dumfries House (pictured) has a surrounding estate which is home to rare breeds such as castlemilk moorit sheep, whitebred shorthorn beef cattle, British landrace pigs, Shetland geese, Scots grey and Scots dumpy chickens, and pied turkeys
Together with the Chillingham and White Park cattle, the Vaynol is one of three horned breeds derived from ancient white parkland herds from Britain and Ireland.
These park cattle were also the basis of a similar fourth breed, the polled British White.
Announcing the new arrivals, the estate said: 'This Spring, our farm team welcomed 11 Vaynol calves into the world.
'As with all the other animals on the estate, the Vaynols will help children on The King’s Foundation’s farm education programmes to learn about where their food comes from, how to look after animals, and the uses of by-products.'
Vaynol cattle originate from a semi-wild herd originally established in 1872 in Vaynol Park, North Wales.
The cattle were kept there until owner Sir Michael Duff died in 1980, when the estate was sold and the herd was moved to a series of locations in England.
This type of herd has never existed in large numbers and in 1989 only one existed.
Four years later that herd was purchased by the RBST and moved four times in search of a permanent home.
The original herd now lives at Temple Newsam Home Farm, West Yorkshire, under the control of Leeds City Council.
Cheshire-born shepherdess Charlotte Darwent has spoken about being in charge of the rare livestock at Charles' Dumfries House estate in Ayrshire
The Prince was heavily involved in selecting the rare breeds for the programme at the estate and is patron of the Rare Breed Survival Trust
The estate's Valentin Education Farm teaches schoolchildren about the provenance of food as well as seeing the animals up close - pictured there is shepherdess Charlotte Darwent
The farm centre at Dumfries House is home to more of the UK’s rarest native breeds, including castlemilk moorit sheep, whitebred shorthorn beef cattle, British landrace pigs, Shetland geese, Scots grey and Scots dumpy chickens, and pied turkeys.
They have been chosen by the King to save them from extinction and to teach thousands of schoolchildren from the deprived Ayrshire communities surrounding the estate about where their food comes from.
Cheshire-born shepherdess Charlotte Derwent has previously spoken about being in charge of the nation's most endangered animals at the Dumfries House estate.
She told the Mail on Sunday: 'Many rare breeds are ancient breeds and are hardy and self-sufficient – they don't need a lot of feeding – and they are so characterful and charming. They bring colour and variety to livestock farming.
And Charles has said in the past of the rare animals: 'It's a real uphill struggle to get people to understand how valuable they are.'
Estate manager Denise Richardson-Rowell said in 2021: 'If people don't carry on breeding these native rare breeds, they will just die out and be gone for ever.
'His Royal Highness is very passionate about the importance of rare breeds, and when he visits Dumfries House he always comes to see us at the farm and takes a great interest in all the animals.'
The animals at Dumfries House are chosen for their affinity with the British farming landscape.
The news of the 11 calves comes on the one-year anniversary of the King's coronation at Westminster Abbey in Central London
Charles, who is marking the anniversary quietly, was seen here leaving a church in Gloucestershire earlier today
His wife Queen Camilla, pictured here in the Gold State Coach with him on his coronation day this time last year, is today with her own family at her private Wiltshire home Ray Mill House
Charles is said to be marking today's first anniversary of his coronation in low-key style with close friends at Windsor - amid uncertainty over whether he will meet his son Prince Harry who is flying into London this week.
The 12 months since the majestic ceremony at Westminster Abbey have brought an onslaught of difficulties - most significantly, diagnoses of cancer for both Charles and his daughter-in-law Kate, the Princess of Wales.
Charles is expected to return to London tomorrow, after getting doctors' permission to undertake more public engagements again while he continues cancer treatment
Harry is likely to fly into the capital tomorrow ahead of a service at St Paul's Cathedral for the tenth anniversary of his Invictus Games on Wednesday afternoon.
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