The King ‘drowned a few sorrows’ after England’s dramatic World Cup exit with a pint he pulled with the Queen as they toured a brewery in Dorset.
Charles sipped an amber ale made by Hall & Woodhouse Badger Brewery the day after England captain Harry Kane and his teammates lost their semi-final match 2-1 to Argentina.
Aided by Camilla, the King poured a pint of Fursty Ferret, a bestseller with the family-owned brewery based in the town of Blandford near Poole in Dorset.
Before tasting the 3.4 per cent popular ale, the King said with a wry smile: ‘Maybe it’s a good day to drown a few sorrows.’
The country is reeling the day after the last-gasp defeat for England manager Thomas Tuchel’s players, with many fans likely to be nursing post-match hangovers, despite the loss.
Charles and Camilla toured the brewery, which celebrates its 250th anniversary next year, met brewing and chef apprentices, and watched as the trainee cooks competed in a MasterChef-style competition.
Founded in 1777 by Charles Hall, a Dorset farmer who began brewing beer from his excess grain, today the company produces more than nine million pints of beer every year, employs more than 1,500 people, and runs around 140 pubs across the south of England.
At one point, the King chatted to Paul Barnett, the brewery’s finance director, about the impact of the World Cup on the business, which has predominantly food-led pubs which do not have screens or show the football.
King Charles ‘drowned a few sorrows’ after England’s World Cup exit with a pint he pulled with Queen Camilla as they toured a brewery in Dorset today
Mr Barnett told the King: ‘I’m quite relieved we’re out of the football because we don’t make so much money.’
It comes after Prince William issued a message of support and told the Three Lions squad to ‘hold their heads high’ after their World Cup semi-final defeat on Wednesday.
The future King praised Thomas Tuchel‘s side’s ‘fight and belief’ that ‘inspired us all’ after the Three Lions crashed out 2-1 down to their rivals, headed up by Lionel Messi.
Sharing the result on Instagram, the Prince of Wales wrote: ‘Gutted. England, you gave it everything and we are all so proud of you.
‘Thank you to everyone on and off the pitch, for an incredible tournament. The fight and belief you have shown has inspired us all.
‘The most complete England team in a tournament. Hold your heads high.’
An initially gutsy performance from the Three Lions saw Anthony Gordon put the side one ahead at 55 minutes, but substitutions to send England into a defensive set-up would heartbreakingly backfire.
England were just less than six minutes away from their first World Cup final for 60 years when Enzo Fernandez scored the equaliser that denied them.
This was followed two minutes into injury time by a header from Lautaro Martinez, who secured Argentina’s place in Sunday night’s final against Spain in New York.
Charles drank a pint in the Hall and Woodhouse Badger Brewery bar as the brewery celebrated its 250th anniversary
Elsewhere today Charles greeted well-wishers following a visit to the Town Hall and Corn Exchange, in Blandford Forum, Dorset
78-year-old Camilla beamed as she chatted with employees of Hall and Woodhouse Badger Brewery
Pictured: King Charles III and Queen Camilla during a visit to the Hall and Woodhouse Badger Brewery in Blandford St Mary
Before enjoying the brewery’s offerings, Charles and Camilla took the time to greet staff members
Pictured: Charles and Camilla talk with employees of Hall and Woodhouse Badger Brewery
It was England’s fourth-ever appearance in the final four of a World Cup, making this the most high-stakes match since 1966.
But in a story familiar to long-suffering fans, they just couldn’t keep ahead at the final whistle.
The royals were among those quick to congratulate the team for their impressive run to the semis, with King Charles III taking to social media and writing: ‘Commiserations to Harry and the team.
‘While you Three Lions may be licking your wounds today, you remain the pride of a nation – and will rise again.’
CEO of the FA, Mark Bullingham, said: ‘It is heartbreaking to be so close. The players and Thomas gave it everything today and the squad, coaches and staff could not have worked harder during the tournament.
‘I would like to thank them all – and also give my heartfelt thanks to our wonderful fans here in the USA and at home. We felt your support every step of the way and we are all so disappointed not to go further.’
