King Charles shared a light-hearted joke about spicy food while meeting community leaders during a visit to Oxford.
The monarch visited the Schwarzman Centre on Friday, where he unveiled a plaque and learned more about the cultural and community programmes hosted at the venue.
During the visit, Charles met representatives from the centre’s Cultural Programme and the Leys Festival. Among them were members of Body Politic, a local dance and hip-hop group scheduled to perform at the festival on Saturday, July 11.
The annual event celebrates the creativity, diversity and energy of the Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys communities.
Erica Whyman, creative lead for the Leys Festival, introduced the King to several people involved in organising the event and explained its purpose.
“He was particularly interested in the fact that it represents so many different cultures and different heritages in East Oxford,” she said.
According to Whyman, the King asked attendees about their backgrounds and appeared delighted by the diversity represented at the festival.
“He was asking everybody a little about that. He seemed very thrilled that there were so many different people,” she added.
Charles also showed an interest in the area’s food culture and joked about the strength of spicy dishes.
“He was talking about spicy food and how it can be dangerous, and how strong they are,” Whyman recalled.
Around 3,000 people are expected to attend the festival at Blackbird Leys Park, with participants representing approximately 20 nationalities.
Prominent Greater Leys community leader Dolcie Obhiozele also spoke with the King about the Windrush generation.
“I spoke briefly to him about the Windrush generation and about the portrait that he commissioned of the Windrush generation, which I think is now stored at Buckingham Palace,” she said.
Community volunteer and chef Luke Ejodamen described himself as “over the moon” after speaking with the monarch.
“He asked me about the culture in Nigeria because he has been there before,” Ejodamen said.
