Prince Louis digs in to help out as king thanks Britain for coronation parties

Prince Louis took control of an excavator as kings took part in the Big Help Out day of volunteering on Monday, while his grandfather the King offered the nation “a sincere and heartfelt thank you” for the coronation celebrations.

Young royal Prince George and Princess Charlotte renovating a Boy Scout cottage in Slough, Berkshire, under the watchful eye of their parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Eager to try everything from shoveling sand to painting a planter bottom to driving a wheelbarrow, the five-year-old royal ended the day splattered with paint but got his reward – a marshmallow and chocolate biscuit sandwich.

Later, the five-year-old prince was given the task of filling a wheelbarrow with construction sand, and he concentrated on the work, diligently shoveling the material before driving the wheelbarrow himself.

Nearby, George got a drill and screwed together wooden planters, assisted by a volunteer, as his father also assembled the boxes and William ended up quipping that they had to “clean up my mess”.

Kensington Palace described the event as Louis’ first royal engagement, although he has attended a number of high-profile royal events, it is believed the visit to Slough marked the prince’s first active engagement with the public.

Matt Hyde, chief executive of the Scout Association, said the royals “had an incredible time”.

Elsewhere, the Archbishop of Canterbury wore a Bon Jovi denim apron as he served lunch at a charity for the homeless two days after King Charles’ coronation.

Justin Welby protected his office collar with the apron, which featured the rockers’ winged emblem, while helping out at Catching Lives in Canterbury.

Lambeth Palace, the archbishop’s office, said it was pleased with the “enthusiasm and support” for the King and Queen’s “joyful and inspiring” coronation service.

The archbishop, who is patron of the charity, was accompanied by his wife Caroline as he presented plates of cottage pie while working in the kitchen during the national volunteer drive on Monday at the end of Coronation weekend.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh helped with a puppy course for aspiring guide dogs in Reading, while Princess Anne attended a County Civic Service honoring local volunteers at Gloucester Cathedral.

Buckingham Palace later released new Coronation Day portraits of King Charles, Queen Camilla and the senior royals, taken by former Tatler photographer Hugo Burnand, who took the couple’s official wedding photos in 2005 and for William and Kate’s wedding in 2011 .

Among them, the King was captured in his full regalia – wearing the Imperial crown of state, holding the orb and scepter with cross, and clad in his majestic purple tunic and robe of estate, seated on a throne chair in the throne room of Buckingham Palace.

Camilla was depicted alongside the King and also in a solo portrait with Queen Mary’s crown and the train of her long, embroidered Robe of Estate in front of her.

The working royal family – the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Edinburghs, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke of Kent, the Gloucesters and Princess Alexandra – were also photographed with the King and Queen in Hugo’s pictures Burnand.

As the festival weekend drew to a close, the king issued a special written coronation message saying, “We thank you all.”

Signing his words Charles R., the King said he and Camilla offered “our most sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make this such a special occasion.”

He used his message to provide an endorsement for the remainder of his reign, saying that he and Camilla would “now rededicate our lives to royal service”.

He added: “Knowing that we have your support and encouragement, and witnessing your kindness expressed in so many different ways, was the greatest possible coronation gift as we now rededicate our lives to serving the people of the UK realms and Commonwealth.”

The King also paid tribute to the “countless people who gave their time and dedication to ensuring the celebrations in London, Windsor and beyond were as happy, safe and enjoyable as possible”.

Meanwhile, Scotland’s First Minister said some people will be uneasy about the amount being spent on the coronation during a livelihood crisis.

“I’ve made it pretty clear that I hope the costs are kept as low as possible,” Hamza Yousaf said during a visit to a community pantry in Dundee as part of Big Help Out. “I think a number of people will have felt uncomfortable about the costs involved.”