Cumbrian doctor who helped the King on trip to Caldbeck recalls historical visit
Watch as Tim Backshall visits Caldbeck to speak to Dr. Jim Cox about meeting the King.
A Cumbrian resident has spoken about his delight at meeting the then Prince during a visit to Caldbeck.
Dr. Jim Cox was in attendance as the King was the first royal visitor to the village since 1216.
He says that the new monarch understood many of the issues that were affecting his local community, many of which often lay hidden
He said: "The prince got that, he got it very quickly and decided he wanted to do something about it.
"So he's passionate I think about this project and it caught his imagination. He came to launch it in 1999 and took a surprising interest. I mean we were blown away really by his support and interest."
Dr. Cox believes this was impressive as he believes many rural issues at the time were not properly paid attention to.
He said: "I mean people who lived in the countryside knew about it but didn't really have much of a voice. So it was a way to raise awareness and, and in particular, not just to talk about the problems but to talk about the solutions.
“Not everybody is a monarchist, but I think everybody appreciated his interest and his support and his understanding. I mean he is a countryman at heart and he is particularly interested in the environment and agriculture and particularly supportive of the uplands."
Dr. Cox said he was left feeling great as the then Prince took an interest in local people's activities. He believes that he shown just how much he loves Cumbria.
He said: "He lives in a fairly rarefied atmosphere but actually he's very interested in spending time with people doing their day to day jobs and fell farming. He loved visiting the shop here in Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket, doing things that people do.
"He's very genuine and he's very thoughtful. And behind the scenes, his kindness to people in this area has been quite stunning, really, visiting people in private visits just to call in and have a cup of tea in a farmhouse."
Dr. Cox believes that even after the coronation the King will always have his affection for Cumbria remaining.
He said: "Obviously, he's got more important things to be doing now than then coming to the pub here in Caldbeck. But I'm sure that a little bit of of of Cumbria is still still there inside him."
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...