THERE was royalty in the audience at a concert in Malmesbury Abbey on the weekend, as Prince Charles paid a visit to the market town.

He was attending a concert on Saturday evening organised by Music in Country Churches, a charitable trust set up in 1989 that the Prince of Wales has been an active patron of.

The trusts arranges weekends of music in rural churches of exceptional beauty and interest and raises funds to assist those churches with the costs of their repair and maintenance.

The concert was performed by the English Chamber Orchestra and featured British cellist Caroline Dale.

Malmesbury resident Ellie Newton, 23, met the royal outside the abbey.

He had spotted her six-week-old baby, Albert William Newton, and had “made a bee-line” to come and say hello.

“He came over and asked Albert’s name and age,” she said. “You could see when I said his name was Albert his face lit up.

“It was quite amazing, he’s not like what you’d expect.”

Visitors said that the Prince made an effort to speak to many of the children who had waited outside to see him in the rain.