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'Everyone re their first Rattler', says prince

George Thorpe
BBC News, South West
PA Media The Prince of Wales at the Royal Cornwall Show with his aunt Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. They are standing inside a tent and is surrounded by visitors to the show. They are both trying Rattler cider from a green plastic cup.PA Media
PA Media Prince William and Duchess of Edinburgh chink paper cups together as they sample an alcoholic beverage at the Royal Cornwall Show. They are inside a large white marquee. A large crowd of people has surrounded them.PA Media
Prince William is a patron of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association (RCAA)
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Edinburgh sampled some of the food and drink on offer at the Royal Cornwall Show

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Edinburgh got the chance to sample some of the local produce on offer at the Royal Cornwall Show during a visit.

Prince William and his aunt visited the Food and Farming Pavilion where they tried some of the items being showcased, including Cornish Rattler cider, as large crowds followed the pair around.

The Prince turned down an alcohol free drink, saying he "(needed) the real stuff" and after trying the cider, he said "everyone re their first Rattler" but added he preferred having ice in the drink.

The royal visitors were at the Royal Cornwall Showground touring the exhibits and speaking to visitors and groups taking part in the show.

As well as the cider, made at Healeys Cornish Cyder Farm, the royals also sampled a pasty and some gin made in the county.

After tasting the gin, made by St Sithney Cornish, Prince William described it as "very light".

He joked about his drinking ability while trying some of the stronger spirits at the show, saying: "I've been caught out with whisky a few times – I think I can do it, then it catches you out."

The pair also ate spicy pumpkin chutney on a piece of popadom, which the Prince described as: "Yummy, really good, there's definitely a bit of spice."

The royal visitors then ventured off to separate parts of the show, which started on Thursday and runs until Saturday.

Prince William spoke to a number of people and made a visit to the site's mental health hub, which is operating for the first time this year.

Katie Mutton from Pentreath - one of the eight charities working at the hub - said it was an "absolute thrill" to meet the prince.

Ms Mutton added: "We all know mental health means so a lot to him and he does an awful lot of work for that, so it's a real honour and privilege to be here to meet him."

Prince William said the charities found "a way to help each other out, the synergy will make a greater impact".

Serena Jolly from Sunrise Cornwall said afterwards: "Suicide isn't a dirty word, we have to be able to talk about it."

The prince also spent a lot of time speaking to visitors to the show including Holly Whitehead, who had travelled down with her family from Derbyshire.

"He was so lovely," Ms Whitehead said.

"We met King Charles a couple of years ago, so we're very, very lucky."

Prince William also took interest to a robot dog-like device, being developed at the University of Plymouth, which can assess the soil quality of fields.

He asked "what will the sheep make of that":[]}