A beaming Prince of Wales appeared in high spirits as he arrived at a royal visit in his vintage Aston Martin DB36 today in South Wales.
Prince Charles, 71, looked overjoyed as he arrived at the new Aston Martin Lagonda factory in St Athan today.
It comes amid a busy day of engagements for the royal, who visited the CAF train factory in South Wales earlier today to officially open the facility.
Later he will make a series of royal visits to businesses and charities in South Wales, before meeting local residents impacted by recent flooding.
Prince Charles, 71, arrived in style for a royal visit today as he drove his vintage Aston Martin DB36 to visit a new Aston Martin Lagonda factory in St Athan
Earlier today, the royal had taken to the driving seat of a partly constructed train at the CAF factory in Newport
Prince Charles appeared in high spirits as he made a visit to CAF train factory in Newport in order to open the facility earlier today
The royal donned a smart grey suit for the occasion, adding a pop of colour with a playful pink tie covered in a pattern of white elephants and cheetahs.
He arrived at the Aston Martin factory in his vintage car, and could be seen beaming as he disembarked the vehicle.
The royal was given a tour of the new facility during his visit to St Athan today and given the chance to test drive the new Aston Martin DBX during his visit.
Earlier this morning, he appeared in high spirits as he arrived at the CAF factory, which is owned by the leading Spanish train maker.
The royal appeared overjoyed as he drove the brand’s first SUV as part of his royal visit today in St Athan
As well as the vintage vehicle, Prince Charles tested out the new Aston Martin DBX during his visit
Prince Charles appeared excited as he chatted with staff at the Aston Martin factory before test driving the company’s first SUV
The royal could be seen laughing and joking with staff during a tour of the factory as they spoke through the manufacturing process, and even climbed aboard a carriage.
The factory builds and test trains including diesel, electric, high-speed and trams.
Prince Charles met with some of the 220 employees, while they talked the royal through the production process.
The royal could be seen laughing and joking with employees as they spoke about the manufacturing process within the factory.
The royal was helped by a member of his entourage as he prepared to leave the facility this morning
The Prince of Wales unveiled a plaque and gave a speech during the reception at the factory earlier today
He was joined by the chief executive of the company, Andres Arizkorreta, on stage as he unveiled the plaque
The royal appeared in high spirits as he spoke during a reception at the CAF train factory in Newport earlier today
The royal was applauded as he took to the stage to unveil a plaque and officially open the facility in South Wales
Prince Charles appeared in high spirits during the visit today, which kickstarts a busy day for the royal
Later, he climbed aboard a partially completed train and studied various parts during the royal visit.
The royal, who officially opened the factory during his visit today, also attended a reception for staff and local dignitaries in order to celebrate.
During the visit, the Prince of Wales unveiled a plaque alongside CAF’s chief executive Andres Arizkorreta.
Prince Charles appeared delighted as he took to the drivers seat of a train currently undergoing construction at the facility
In the driving seat! The royal appeared to enjoy a tour of the facility, which involved him testing out the carriage of one of the trains
The royal could be seen smiling as he studied the parts of the manufacturing process during the visit today
Staff talked Prince Charles through the production process during his visit to the factory, with the royal climbing aboard a train currently under construction
He could be seen sharing a laugh with staff at the factory as he was offered a tour of the facility earlier today
The royal could be seen beaming and sharing jokes with employees whom he met at the factory today
The state-of-the-art manufacturing facility which was completed in 2017, after CAF ploughed £32million into the plant at the Celtic Business Park in Newport, a former steelworks that is not far from the steel hub of Port Talbot.
He will then pay a visit to the Marie Curie Hospice in Cardiff and the Vale to meet with patients and staff.
Later he will travel to the British Airways Maintenance Centre to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the company.
He’s also set to meet with residents in the town of Pontypridd who have been affected by recent floods, and meet those involved in the rescue and support effort.
The royal donned a simple grey suit with a playful pink tie for the royal visit to the factory in South Wales today
Prince Charles could be seen chatting with staff as they talked through the production process at the facility
The royal appeared in high spirits as he shared a joke with one factory worker during the visit earlier today
Prince Charles could be seen sharing a giggle with a factory worker while making the royal visit earlier today
It comes amid a busy week for Prince Charles, who yesterday presented the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes at Buckingham Palace.
Earlier on this week, the royal donned a hard hat and high-viz jacket to meet some of the skilled costume and prop-makers from the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) during a visit to Warwickshire.
And last week, he hosted The Prince’s Trust Invest in Futures Gala at Kensington Palace.
He appeared in excellent spirits as he welcomed stars including Claudia Winkleman and Rob Brydon to the gala, which is the largest fundraising event of The Prince’s Trust, generating vital funds to support thousands of young people into jobs, education or training.