Prince Charles reveals he lets red squirrels play in his home in special 70th birthday letter

The British royal has guest-edited this week’s Country Life magazine to mark the milestone

(AFP/Getty Images)

Prince Charles has spoken about his fondness for the natural world in an special edition of Country Life magazine, which he guest edited to mark his 70th birthday.

The heir to the throne said he adores the red squirrels that reside on the Balmoral estate and even allows them into his home.

“They come into the house at Birkhall and we get them chasing each other round and round inside,” he writes in the magazine.

“If I sit there quietly, they will do so around me. Sometimes, when I leave my jackets on a chair with nuts in the pockets, I see them with their tails sticking out, as they hunt for nuts - they are incredibly special creatures.”

The Prince of Wales is a patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, which seeks to protect the endangered animals.

The magazine also features an interview with the Duke of Cambridge, who describes his father as “completely infatuated” with the squirrels, revealing that he’s even give some of them names.

The 36-year-old royal added that he hopes to share a similar passion for wildlife with his own children, Prince George, five, Princess Charlotte, three, and Prince Louis, who is six months old.

Writing in Country Life, Prince Charles also described his love of food and said he recently invented a recipe for moussaka, the traditional Greek dish, which is traditionally made with aubergine and lamb.

But the 70-year-old explained he has a penchant for grouse, and so makes his moussaka with the game meat instead, dubbing it “groussaka”.

Two previously unseen photographs of the royal family have been released to celebrate the Prince Charles’ milestone birthday.

(Clarence House/Chris Jackson/PA) (PA)

They were taken in the garden of Clarence House, September by royal photographer Chris Jackson and show the Prince of Wales sitting on a bench with his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, surrounded by the rest of his family including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, their three children and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Buckingham Palace has also published a list of 70 facts about Prince Charles to mark the occasion, which reveal that he doesn’t eat lunch and that his favourite cup of tea is Darjeeling with honey and milk.

As for the celebrations themselves, there will be a private party on Wednesday evening held at Buckingham Palace and hosted by the Queen, who is expected to give a speech.

Prince Charles will also attend a tea party during the day at Spencer House along with the Duchess of Cornwall to celebrate 70 inspirational people who are also celebrating their 70th birthdays this year.