Thanks A Bunch! Camilla's Tug Of War With Little Flower Girl

Thanks A Bunch! Camilla's Tug Of War With Little Flower Girl

The Duchess of Cornwall found herself in a playful tug of war with a little girl determined to hang onto a posy of flowers meant for the royal.

In comic scenes little 22-month old Elizabeth Colquhoun offered the blooms to Camilla then refused to hand them over when she met the duchess in the children's section of the State Library of Western Australia in Perth.

The Duchess is well used to dealing with youngsters having five grandchildren and persevered.

Eventually she managed to take the bouquet but Elizabeth wanted it back and Camilla playfully held it just out of her grasp until she eventually grabbed it.

Her mother Chantelle Colquhoun, 39, a housewife originally from the Cornish town of Camborne, was in a fit of giggles at her daughter's antics.

She said: "She's strong willed and is just the same way at home."

Camilla had joined a book reading session for toddlers when she got into the tussle with the 22-month-old.

During her visit she was shown local artefacts and an exhibition about the children's books featuring fictional dog Hairy Maclary by the New Zealand author Dame Lynley Dodd.

Earlier Charles and Camilla attended a service at St George's Cathedral in Perth as their tour Down Under drew to a close.

After condemning as "bestial" the Paris terrorist attacks that have killed at least 129 - with a handful of Britons also feared dead - Charles and his wife joined a congregation for Sunday worship.

The heir to the throne's comments came during his birthday barbecue at Cottlesloe beach in Perth on Saturday when he asked the guests to "join with me in expressing as well our utter, total horror at what has happened".

The night ended with the cutting of Charles' birthday cake with the guests swamped by torrential rain.

In his address the Dean of Perth, the Very Rev Richard Pengelley, joked with prince and duchess telling them: "You survived the spectacular storm in Cottlesloe last night and I wish there were this many people here for my sermon every week."

During the day, the royal couple met a celebrity chef and a Falklands veteran who fought in the famous battle of Goose Green.

Charles chatted to Dave Abols, a former Corporal who served with the 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel H Jones, who was killed in the battle and posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

The senior officer died storming a machine gun nest and Mr Abols had also taken on the same Argentinian position and for his efforts was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his outstanding act of bravery.

The Falklands veteran served in Northern Ireland and Belize before joining the Australian army in 2005 as a quartermaster captain.

Charles chatted briefly to the former Para outside St George's Cathedral, then was introduced to TV cook Antonio Carluccio when he visited the newly-renovated Treasury building nearby.

For the past two decades the TV chef has given one of his famous truffles to Charles as a birthday gift and this year was no exception.

During his tour of the Treasury, which has been rebuilt as a hotel, the Prince told guests,"For a large amount of my life I have been trying to find new uses for historic buildings and I was thrilled to see this building put to such good use."

Later, Charles and Camilla said goodbye to Australia by going on a walkabout in Perth's Kings Park.

Almost a thousand people turned out to see the royal couple who shook hands and briefly chatted to the well wishers.

Their tour ended with Colin Barnett, the premier of Western Australia, and other dignitaries waving the prince and duchess off from Perth airport on a Royal Australian Air Force jet.

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