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Prince Charles to meet Barack Obama in Washington Prince Charles to meet Barack Obama in Washington
(about 2 hours later)
The Prince of Wales is due to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington on the second day of his official visit to the US. The Prince of Wales is due to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington on the second day of his visit to the US.
He will also give the keynote speech at a conference on sustainable agriculture and attend an event to support British and American troops deployed overseas. Attending an event on Wednesday to support UK and American troops, Charles praised wounded US service personnel, citing their positive outlook on life and "determination" to succeed.
On Tuesday, Charles attended a Marshall Scholar alumni reception at the US Supreme Court. He also entertained with a few lines from the Pirates of Penzance operetta.
He then visited a city farm on a former baseball field in a deprived area. The prince will also make a keynote speech at a conference on sustainable agriculture at Georgetown University.
During his 35-minute visit to the Common Good City Farm, Prince Charles met staff and volunteers at the site where fruit, vegetables and flowers are grown. He also helped with a tree planting. On the first day of his two-day official visit, Charles attended a Marshall Scholar alumni reception at the US Supreme Court and visited a city farm.
Washington mayor Vincent Gray, who was present to greet Charles, described him as a "visionary" on environmental issues. He spoke at the event to celebrate the work of the British Forces Fund and America's United Service Organisations - two bodies which organise morale-boosting entertainment for troops on both sides of the Atlantic.
His speech later will take place at the Future of Food conference at Georgetown University. The prince highlighted how both the UK and US owed an "immense debt" to their armed forces who were prepared to risk their lives serving in Afghanistan.
"As far as I'm concerned, nothing is too good for our servicemen and servicewomen," he said.
Entertaining the troops
Perhaps taking his queue from former M People singer Heather Small, who had sung for the invited guests, the prince told the audience that while at school he took part in a production of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta the Pirates of Penzance.
More speaking than singing, he performed a few lines from the song Oh better far to live and die: "When I sally forth to seek my prey, I help myself in a royal way, I sink a few more ships, it's true, than a well-bred monarch ought to do."
He later met a number of amputee veterans, including Andrew Kinard, 28, a former 1st Lieutenant with the US Marines who lost both his legs in a 2006 blast while on a foot patrol in western Iraq.
Now in his second year of a Harvard Law degree, he told of the days after he woke in a US Naval hospital following the explosion: "Over the period of about a week - coming in and out of consciousness, [having] multiple surgeries - I got to the point where I was asking where my legs where, I couldn't see they were gone, my dad had to tell me."
Dawn Halfaker, a former captain who worked as a military police officer in the US Army, was another who spoke to the prince.
Speaking about the importance of high profile individuals recognising veterans, she said: "I think it's fundamental to their role to be able to honour the sacrifices servicemen have made to their country.
"They don't have to say anything or do anything, just the mere fact that you understand that they care is enough."
A Clarence House spokesman said the prince's two-day trip had three main themes - education, environmental sustainability and co-operation between UK and US forces.A Clarence House spokesman said the prince's two-day trip had three main themes - education, environmental sustainability and co-operation between UK and US forces.
The prince and the president's meeting comes ahead of President Obama's state visit to the UK later this month.The prince and the president's meeting comes ahead of President Obama's state visit to the UK later this month.
The prince, who is an honorary patron of the Association of Marshall Scholars, met former beneficiaries of the scholarships during a visit hosted by Supreme Court associate justice Stephen Breyer, who studied under the scheme at Oxford University's Magdalen College.
The British project, established by an act of parliament in 1953, funds Americans to study at UK universities in recognition of the post-war European recovery programme, known as the Marshall Plan.
William Coquillette, president of the Association of Marshall Scholars, said it was "very significant" to have the prince's presence, particularly just a few days after millions of American TV viewers tuned in to watch the wedding of his eldest son Prince William.
He said of Prince Charles: "Obviously he's a very prominent figure in the public eye and to have his attention and support is very important.
"It's only three or four days since we were transfixed with the royal wedding so to have him here is a special treat," he said.