Britain’s Prince Charles has closed his farm shop.
The prince – whose Duchy Originals organics brand has been a huge commercial success – has closed the doors on the Veg Shed, which was opened at his Highgrove home in Gloucestershire eight years ago and sold freshly-picked fruit and vegetables and meat from the estate’s ecologically raised cattle, as it wasn’t financially viable.
Charles invested thousands of pounds of his own money into the shop, which moved to nearby Close Farm three years ago, but it was never a huge success so closed its doors for the final time last weekend.
Insiders claimed the shop was a flop because of its high prices and remote location which meant local and tourist trade failed to bring in enough revenue.
A Clarence House aide said: ”It is a real shame, but the farming industry has struggled in recent years and, as a farmer, the prince is not immune.”
A friend added: ”It just goes to show that even royalty is not immune from the recession. Charles had high hopes of this becoming a success.”