Country casual clothing by Royal design

THE Prince of Wales is set to put the House of Windsor back in fashion by launching his own "country casual" collection to help the ailing rural economy.

Royal insiders say the prince, who has featured in the best-dressed list of style magazines including GQ, is not aiming to become the next Versace or Galliano but wants to help farmers by using British wool to weave into scarves, sweaters and tweed suits which will be made in rural workshops.

More haute agri-couture than high fashion, it is hoped that the pedigree of the Windsor brand will give the prince an edge, creating a motif to match established names such as Pringle, Barbour and Burberry.

Prince William could also have a hand in some of the designs. While his mother was fted globally for her fashion sense, the young prince is known to be turning his attention to tweed.

Both princes William and Harry recently took delivery of lengths of Jubilee tweed supplied by Jeremy Hackett, the Sloane Street outfitter.

Prince William is often seen sporting a blazer, or crew-neck jumpers coupled with chinos, and has been placed in the international best-dressed list.

The likelihood of the new venture proving successful is almost guaranteed, with a ready and willing market, both at home and abroad, anxious to buy a Royal brand.

Mark Pike, the manager of the tweed outfitters Romanes & Paterson, on Princes Street, Edinburgh, said any range with the Royal seal of approval would be welcomed by both customers and businesses alike.

"A lot of our business comes from international custom, and I’m sure they would be interested in the prince’s range because they are not interested in something which has been made in the Far East," he said. "Our business would certainly be interested, there’s no doubt about that.

"If the range takes off and does as well as they hope it will, then it will create a higher demand for the craft and encourage the next generation to stay within the industry."

Mr Pike said it was unfortunate that the range was not ready to be launched in the Jubilee year, with the added marketing spin-offs that would have created.

Another Edinburgh retailer said: "Good luck to him, and good on him if he is going to use all British materials.

"That’s what we need just now, because the market is being flooded with products from abroad. I hope it does well."

Prince Charles has already seen his passion for organic food turn into a healthy business, with his Duchy Originals making a profit of 572,000 last year.

The profits and royalties of more than 1 million from firms producing biscuits, sausages, bacon, soft drinks and cheese are donated to the prince’s charities.

Belinda Gooding, the company’s chief executive, is expected to oversee the move to fashion, with a launch date provisionally set for next year. A spokesman confirmed: "Duchy Originals is considering diversifying into high-quality, non-food products, which would help farmers and at the same time increase the company’s donations to charitable causes."

It is understood that the prince feels a deep sense of obligation to find new ways of combating the crisis in British agriculture, where, according to the National Farmers’ Union, the average wage in the year to February fell to 10,000, working at less than the national minimum wage.

As well as creating the "Duchy Collection", Prince Charles will launch a range of garden furniture which will promise style and elegance to Britain’s suburbs, offering patrons a chance to enjoy a glass of Pimms in something more comfortable than a plastic armchair.

The line will include carved oak chairs, tables and gazebos, sold through up-market garden centres.

Rather than follow his cousin, Lord Linley, in designing furniture for high-profile buyers such as Sir Elton John, the prince wants to emulate an enterprise he saw on his visits to Chatsworth, the Derbyshire country house of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.

The estate’s joiners were given a new lease of life when the duchess set up Chatsworth Carpenters to produce fine furniture during lulls in maintenance work.

Individual pieces sell for about 1,000 each, mainly to a North American clientele.

Front row spot for Camilla

THE Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles last night left the Castle of Mey after a long weekend together at the late Queen Mother’s beloved Scottish retreat.

Prince Charles and Mrs Parker Bowles spent three days at the remote Caithness castle and carried out a series of engagements in honour of the late Royal matriarch.

Their increasing closeness as a couple in public was also being seen as another step on the road to greater acceptance of Mrs Parker Bowles as the prince’s companion.

At the Mey Highland Games on Saturday, which the late Queen Mother used to attend, the pair sat on the same podium to watch the competition. They were separated by just one seat, where previously at public events they have rarely shared the same row.

There was further evidence of Mrs Parker Bowles’s growing status when she and Charles attended a service together at the 18th century Canisbay Church of Scotland.

The weekend at the Castle of Mey, near John O’Groats, began on Thursday with Charles and Mrs Parker Bowles arriving separately.

Although palace aides insisted the weekend was mainly private, on Friday evening Charles unveiled a stone bench dedicated to the late Queen Mother, with Mrs Parker Bowles in attendance.