Royals celebrate Chinese New Year in Chinatown

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall during an official visit to Chinatown to mark Chinese New Year Credit: John Phillips/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall celebrated the start of the Chinese New Year in Chinatown today.

The couple arrived to a fanfare of colour, drums and dancing dragons to mark the first day of the year of the goat.

Charles grinned as his wife attempted to make dim sum in the shape of money bags, believed to bring you luck and prosperity, before watching a demonstration on using chop sticks.

Chinese food writer and TV chef Ching-He Huang (right) shows The Duchess of Cornwall how to make traditional chinese dumplings Credit: John Phillips, PA Wire

Camilla was a little more reluctant to try the trickier art of Chinese calligraphy but was praised for her "impressive" first try at the character representing "sky".

Before officially opening the newly refurbished China Exchange, a cultural and business centre in the heart of China Town, Charles attempted a few words of Mandarin but accepted he might need "a tutorial afterwards".

He also joked about the friendly dispute over whether it is the year of the goat or the sheep - a confusion which has arisen over the translation of the word "yang" in to English.

The Duchess of Cornwall is shown the art of Chinese calligraphy Credit: John Phillips/PA Wire