His Majesty The King met representatives and beneficiaries from a range of charities today to mark a significant landmark in the partnership between the King Charles III Charitable Fund and Waitrose Duchy Organic.
In the gardens of Clarence House, His Majesty joined a reception to celebrate the £50m contribution to good causes raised from global sales of Waitrose Duchy Organic products since 2009.
These funds have enabled King Charles III Charitable Fund to award over 1,600 grants across 20 countries, supporting more than 400,000 people each year. The funds have supported projects protecting British landscapes, providing opportunities for young people to thrive and supporting vital humanitarian concerns across the globe.
Charity volunteer Jan Rayner and her dog Max were amongst the guests who met The King. Mrs Rayner volunteers with Wag & Company, the only visiting dog charity befriending older people in their homes, care facilities, and medical establishments across the North East. She joined representatives from Finding Rhythms, a charity that uses music to empower young people at risk of offending to transform their lives and the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST), a pioneer in community-led marine conservation on Scotland’s west coast.
His Majesty also met Duchy organic farmers and suppliers of chicken, lamb, beef, eggs, vegetables, and dairy products, including The Madge family from Somerset, founding members of the Waitrose organic milk supply chain and the Tuft family from Northern Ireland, who began poultry farming in 1999 and transitioned to organic farming in 2001, supporting two generations of the family.
Farmer, Leighton Snelgrove attended the event accompanied by ‘Poppy’, a 19-month-old Pedigree Sussex heifer from an organic, regenerative farm in East Sussex, which supplies beef to Waitrose.
King Charles III Charitable Fund Chair of Trustees, Sir Ian Cheshire said: “We are proud to mark the major milestone of £50m raised for good causes across the UK and globally. This has enabled us to fund innovative and life-changing projects with The King’s Trust and The King’s Foundation as well as thousands of other charitable initiatives. Together we are advancing sustainability, expanding access to education and opportunity, and helping to build resilient, thriving communities.“We are immensely grateful to Waitrose for their enduring support to the Duchy Organic brand which continues to reflect His Majesty’s long-standing commitment to supporting people, communities and nature to thrive.”
James Bailey, Managing Director of Waitrose, said: “This is an extraordinary achievement for an exceptional brand, which we have been proud to nurture and develop for the last sixteen years.
“The Duchy brand is based around the principles of high quality, sustainable food and supporting good causes. His Majesty’s vision, as Prince of Wales, very much shaped and guided those principles which continue to steer us today, combined they have made an astonishing impact for good.
“Every Duchy product sold contributes to something greater and we are delighted to be working in partnership with the King Charles III Charitable Fund to support its work, which enriches lives and protects our precious environment, and we thank our customers without whom none of this would be possible.”
Howard Wood OBE, co-founder of Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) said: “It has been so special to be part of this celebration today. The funds raised through Waitrose Duchy Organic reflect a truly ethical and trustworthy partnership, supporting sustainable initiatives that make a real difference to COAST and to organisations across the globe.”
The Duchy Organic brand was founded by King Charles III (as Prince of Wales) in 1990 to champion organic farming. Its first product was the iconic oaten biscuit originally made from wheats and oats grown organically on the Home Farm at Highgrove.
