CHARITY groups and volunteers have said meeting King Charles on his unforgettable trip to Colchester was a "special moment".

The monarch, joined by The Queen Consort, conversed with a range of starstruck people from different organisations operating in the area.

During his time at the castle, Charles spoke with workers from the Essex Native Oyster Restoration Initiative, Firstsite, Next Chapter and Colchester Zoo.

The Essex Native Oyster Restoration Initiative strives to establish self-sustaining estuaries in the county by using native oyster populations.

Led by the University of Essex, the scheme is a collaboration between oystermen, nature conservation organisations, academia and the UK Government.

Gazette: King Charles speaks with the Essex Native Oyster Restoration InitiativeKing Charles speaks with the Essex Native Oyster Restoration Initiative (Image: Steve Brading)

Representatives from the project, considered the largest of its kind by area in the United Kingdom, were also joined by Tom Haward from Richard Haward’s Oysters.

Dr Boróka Bó, from the university's Department of Sociology, and Dr Michael Steinke, from its School of Life Sciences, attended the royal visit to speak with King Charles about their work.

Dr Steinke said: “We are delighted we were able to showcase our research to The King and The Queen Consort.

"We know they are interested in the future of farming and the importance of sustainability.

"We are proud of our project which is looking at how to work with nature, rather than against it, to look for an environmentally-friendly solution to coastal erosion.”

Firstsite, meanwhile, is the city’s contemporary art gallery and also provides free meals to local low-income children and their families.

Crowned the Art Fund’s Museum of the Year in 2021, team members from the gallery spoke to the royals about their school holiday arts programme Holiday Fun.

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Workers from domestic abuse charity Next Chapter, founded in 1977 as Colchester Women’s Aid, also talked about how they support survivors of relationship violence.

The charity specialises in providing accommodation, support, and recovery to women with drug and alcohol addiction and dependency caused by abuse they have experienced.

Ahead of unveiling the name of Colchester Zoo's baby white rhino, King Charles and the Queen Consort concluded their visit to the castle by holding a conversation with the zoo's Animal Care Team.

Gazette: King Charles unveils the name of a baby rhino at Colchester ZooKing Charles unveils the name of a baby rhino at Colchester Zoo (Image: Steve Brading)

The Stanway animal complex has been part of the city’s life since 1963 and has become a leading conservation, education and research organisation.

Andy Moore, conservation education manager at Colchester Zoo, said: “It was absolutely fantastic to meet the King today.

“It was a great opportunity for us to shine a light on the work Colchester Zoo does with local species in Essex.

“It was really nice to be able to share that with his majesty and it was nice for him to be able to unveil the name of our seventh baby rhino.

"It was a really special moment.”

After travelling to Colchester Library, the royal couple also met with workers at Age UK and representatives from the Essex Year of Reading. 

Tony Ball, Essex County Council cabinet member for education excellence, lifelong learning and employability, said: “We are delighted The King and The Queen Consort were able to visit one of our libraries today and hear more about the fantastic work we are continuing to do through the Essex Year of Reading.

"Supporting pupils to improve their reading skills over the past year has been an incredible journey and I could not be prouder of what we have achieved.”