You’re never too old or too royal for a compliment, as King Charles proved when a young child boldly told the King he was “so nice” during a visit to Harlem Grown, a New York initiative a local community organisation and after-school initiative tackling systemic health, education and wellbeing challenges faced by disadvantaged children and families the city. 

It aims to transform abandoned urban lots into sustainable farms, a project which no doubt resonated with the green-fingered monarch.

The 77-year-old was surrounded by young people as he helped to feed chickens with home-grown lettuce grown in the on-site coop.

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He chatted away with the children, adding that he “loved chickens”, and tore up his own lettuce to share with a young girl who called him “Mr King Charles”.

During the visit, a woman held his hand and said: “Thank you for your speech to Congress, we needed that.” Smiling, he replied: “Well, I keep trying.”

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Charles was welcomed to the site by Harlem Grown’s founder, Tony Hilliery, who told him about the charity’s history and mission to partner with schools and organisations to provide safe environments and healthy food for local people. 

The organisation was born after Tony volunteered at PS 175, a local public primary school, where he witnessed the impact of limited access to nutritious food, the arts, and the broader resource inequalities on pupils and the cascading impact on the local families. It inspired him to transform a neglected and dilapidated community garden opposite the school into a thriving urban farm.

During his visit, the King gifted Tony a jar of Highgrove honey, saying: “This is for you, from England”.

Tony said of his charity work: “For many it was the first time they engaged with education on a practical level. I knew we could make a difference, but these kids have changed my life, truly.”