'I hope I live to see little bit of growth'

THE King yesterday joked about living long enough to see the growth of a tree he planted on his Italian state visit.

- By Emily Ferguson

He was in a jovial mood in the gardens of Villa Wolkonsky, the British ambassador’s Rome residence where Charles and Camilla stayed.

After shovelling soil around the sapling, the King quipped to staff on the lawn: “Well, I do hope that I shall live long enough to see a little bit of growth in the tree.”

Charles, 76, who is being treated for cancer, unveiled a plaque before pointing at the sapling, saying: “Needs a bit of water.”

Cheering

Earlier, he had met representatives from the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. The project, which he established, aims to speed up the world’s transition to a nature-first circular bioeconomy.