Queen seen with bandage after injury during Guernsey tour

The Queen sported a bandage and “hobbled” through a visit to Guernsey after spraining her ankle when she tripped in her heels.

During the trip, the King sampled a new craft beer named in his honour, the Queen was given some vintage cheddar for her birthday and a group of schoolchildren serenaded her in their local language.

The couple’s visit to the Channel Island on Tuesday may have been relatively brief but it contained all of the ingredients of a successful royal tour: sunshine, flag-waving crowds and some traditional dancing.

The King delighted the locals by speaking in French, chatted knowledgeably about seaweed and bestowed a royal title on a rare breed of goat.

He also enjoyed a nostalgic chat with the daughters of his former pilot instructor, who had taught him how to fly helicopters in 1974 and was given a kiss on the cheek by resident Kathleen, 91.

Meanwhile, the Queen appeared to be suffering slight discomfort due to her minor injury, commenting that she wished she had flat shoes as she “hobbled” around.

But she ploughed on, using an umbrella as a walking stick as she perused local craft stalls, sampled apple juice, “delicious” rhubarb and ginger ice cream and cheese.

Camilla, who celebrates her 77th birthday on Wednesday, marvelled at the traditional Guernsey jumper, saying: “They really do keep the cold out. They’re originally a fisherman’s jumper.”

The King was persuaded to take a sip of a locally brewed beer, called Charles to mark the Coronation.

“If you’re tempted, Sir?” said Sir Richard McMahon, the local bailiff, gesturing towards a full glass.

The King asked when it was brewed and whether much had been sold before politely taking a sip.

“I’d better not have too much,” he chuckled.

The Little Big Brew Company’s head brewer Daniel O’Brien later revealed that the Charles beer had been a “huge hit” and the first batch had rapidly sold out.

His colleague, Simon de la Rue, said: “It’s gone gangbusters. The King seemed to really like it. He said it had a good aroma but that he shouldn’t drink too much at this time of day.”

Dave Domaille, of Guernsey Dairy, gave the Queen some vintage cheddar cheese, telling her: “It’s an early birthday present.”

Inside a marquee at the end of the pier, the couple joined 77 residents and military veterans for a tea party.

Among the guests was the family of Capt Peter Voute, who taught Charles how to fly at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset.

Capt Voute, who died in February aged 85, once said that the future King was one of the most natural flyers he had taught.

His niece, Nicky Gaudion, wrote to the King’s office to say that her uncle, who was also an usher at the King’s wedding to Diana, Princess of Wales, was terminally ill.

Sitting at the table, Charles reminisced about the old days.

He said: “It was an incredible time for me, we had great fun. I loved it and it was too short a time.”

Capt Houte’s daughter, Tricia Howitt, said afterwards: “We thought we’d get a generalised note from King’s office passing on his condolence but we received a letter which moved us really deeply.”

Her sister, Carina Howitt, added: “We were very surprised and we felt very touched that he remembered our father.”

The King later granted a special royal title to a rare breed of Golden Guernsey goats, rescued from oblivion by a local woman called Miriam Milbourne in 1924 and then hidden at her home when Guernsey was occupied during the Second World War.

The breed is now known as the Royal Golden Guernsey goat, marking the first time in recent history that such a title has been granted to livestock.

To mark the moment, an engraved brass goat bell on a collar was placed around the neck of an eight-year-old goat called Summerville Tamsin, which had been washed with Head and Shoulders, especially for the occasion.

“Very smart bell,” the Queen said admiringly as the King gave it a stroke.

Camilla, an avid reader, was also given a private tour of author Victor Hugo’s home, Hauteville House, which she declared a “remarkable treat”.

The property, built on the heights of Saint Peter Port, is where Hugo wrote many of his masterpieces, including much of Les Misérables, Toilers of the Sea, and The Man Who Laughs.

Hugo lived there for 15 years during his exile from France and left the property to the French government, which preserved it as a museum in his honour.

The King and Queen had earlier arrived on the island to the sound of a 21-gun salute, marking the first visit by a reigning monarch since Elizabeth II’s in 2005.

The King presided over a short outdoor sitting of the States of Deliberation, the island’s parliament, featuring a fanfare, two verses of the National Anthem and the Lord’s Prayer delivered in French.

Before they left, a group of schoolchildren from Sark sang Happy Birthday to the Queen in the island’s native language, Sercqaise.

But after a brief rest at home, both King and Queen will be straight back to it on Wednesday, when they take centre stage for the State Opening of Parliament.