The Duchess of Cornwall is fascinated by bees, apparently.
The wife of Prince Charles observed some of the regal insects at close quarters during a visit to Airfield Estate in Dundrum, south Dublin, on Friday.
Local beekeeper Brian O’Toole, from Leinster Honey, was on hand to point out the queen bee in his observation hive on the estate, and provided dramatic commentary on the goings-on in the colony.
“This morning I found a second queen, which is quite unusual. She’s somewhere in there, lurking,” he told the duchess.
Rain forced Camilla to move on, but Mr O’Toole said the duchess was extremely interested in the creatures.
“She is fascinated by bees,” he confirmed.
Pointing to the “clipped and marked” queen, he said: “That one will just disappear after a few weeks, but the new queen, the lady-in-waiting, will take over.”
After viewing the Jersey maiden heifers on the estate's farm, the duchess extended her hand to three-year-old Quinn Tallentire and was rewarded with a swift high-five.
Quinn was there with his mother Clare, from Durham, England, and his brothers Harry and Sam.
“I can’t believe he gave her a high-five. He thinks she’s the queen,” said Ms Tallentire.
Another youngster, Jack, told the duchess his favourite animal was bananas.
The duchess then planted a tree in the grounds of the Airfield Estate, saying she hoped it would grow well.
Estate agents
The estate was opened up by the Overend family in 1974, for educational and recreational purposes.
It had been bought by solicitor Trevor Overend as a summer house in 1894.
Inside Airfield House, the duchess removed her navy coat and was helped into a Mackintosh.
She said the weather on her trip to Ireland had been so wonderful that Friday's rain had come as a "bit of a shock", but it was a "blessing" for the garden.
Once the duchess was outside again, a Jersey calf licked her hand. She rubbed its head and pronounced it a “very happy” animal.
“There’s nothing like the cream,” she added.
Earlier on Friday, the duchess had visited the Rape Crisis Centre in Dublin.
"I don't want to interrupt," she told staff, as the centre's chief executive, Noeline Blackwell, showed her around the organisation's Lower Leeson Street premises.
When Ms Blackwell praised the duchess for raising awareness about the issue, the duchess said: “It’s been a taboo subject for so long.”
Staff at the centre told the duchess they could receive 20 to 40 calls a day, from 8am until 7pm.
Calls came from all across Ireland and from other parts of the world, including the UK. A total of 155 people who identified themselves as British citizens called the centre last year.
“Think how many people are not calling,” Camilla said.
