Bank Holiday Moo-nday celebrations as royal estate welcomes newest arrivals to ... trends now
The King's 800-strong herd of the UK's rarest cattle breed has welcomed its newest arrivals - coinciding with the early May Bank Holiday and today's one-year anniversary of his coronation.
Eleven new calves have been born at Charles's favoured Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, which is also home to the King's Foundation, in the latest royal-backed boost for endangered animals.
The Vaynol cows at the estate are among the rarest not only in Britain but globally, with fewer than 150 breeding animals remaining anywhere in the world.
The breed is currently listed as 'critical' by the Rare Breed Survival Trust, which has the King - crowned at Westminster Abbey on this day last year - as its patron.
Charles and other members of the Royal Family have long been noted for their keenness to help rescue fast-disappearing British breeds.
Dumfries House, the King's estate in Ayrshire, has welcomed 11 new Vaynol calves - sharing this picture of one of them on the property's Facebook account
King Charles and Queen Camilla are seen here in Cumnock in Scotland in September 2021 ahead of a visit to Dumfries House
Dumfries House (pictured) has a surrounding estate which is home to rare breeds such as castlemilk moorit sheep, whitebred shorthorn beef cattle, British landrace pigs, Shetland geese, Scots grey and Scots dumpy chickens, and pied turkeys
Together with the Chillingham and White Park cattle, the Vaynol is one of three horned breeds derived from ancient white parkland herds from Britain and Ireland.
These park cattle were also the basis of a similar fourth breed, the polled British White.
Announcing the new arrivals, the estate said: 'This Spring, our farm team welcomed 11 Vaynol calves into the world.
'As with all the other animals on the estate, the Vaynols will help children on The King’s Foundation’s farm education programmes to learn about where their food comes from, how to look after animals, and the uses of by-products.'
Vaynol cattle originate from a semi-wild herd originally established in 1872 in Vaynol Park, North Wales.
The cattle were kept there until owner Sir Michael Duff died in 1980, when the estate was sold and the herd was moved to a series of locations in England.
This type of herd has never existed in large numbers and in 1989 only one existed.
Four years later that herd was purchased by the RBST and moved four times in search of a permanent home.
The original herd now lives at Temple Newsam Home Farm, West Yorkshire, under the control of Leeds City Council.
Cheshire-born shepherdess Charlotte Darwent has spoken about being in charge of the rare livestock at Charles' Dumfries House estate in Ayrshire
The Prince was heavily involved in selecting the rare breeds for the programme at the estate and is patron of the Rare Breed Survival Trust
