Countryside Champion: The Prince of Wales

PRINCE Charles, who last week caused a major political stir by attacking GM food producers, has been voted the countryside’s most important saviour in a poll conducted by the magazine Country Life.

He headed a list of rural champions ahead of the Queen and the celebrity chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver, both of whom have campaigned for “real food” and traditional framing methods.

The Prince is a regular visitor to the Yorkshire Dales and supports a number if causes important to country life in wilder areas. These include “The Pub is the Hub”, which works to keep village pubs open by combining them with the local post office and shop.

He launched this campaign some years ago at Stainforth, near Settle, by famously having a pint in the village pub.

Readers of Country Life praised him not just for his interest in rural affairs but on his willingness to speak out in their support despite the fact that it regularly lands him in hot water with politicians.