The Duchess of Cornwall and her rescue dog Beth took on television star Paul O’Grady and his pup Sausage in a canine showdown.
The two friends’ pooches went head to head in a dog training game known as ‘Temptation Alley’ on Tuesday in which competitors are encouraged to ignore dog treats and toys either side of them and run straight to their owner at the other end.
Camilla, 74, was at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home’s rural centre in Brands Hatch, Kent, in her role as the charity’s patron.
She has re-homed two Jack Russell Terriers through the organisation, Beth and her pal Bluebell - who was also present but deemed too naughty to take part.
O’Grady is Battersea’s ambassador and was filming his TV show, For The Love of Dogs, in which Camilla and Beth will star.
As she walked in Camilla was delighted to see ‘Bethy’ already waiting for her and made a great fuss of her. “What could possibly go wrong,” she laughed, rolling her eyes.
Head of canine behaviour, Ali Taylor, positioned the dogs at one end of the room with the staff member and told the duchess and O’Grady to stand at the other end ready to call their dogs.
“Mine doesn’t speak English!” Interjected O’Grady. ‘She’s from Romania and has a Polish chip!”
Camilla and Beth went first, Camilla holding a yellow squeaky ball in her hand and encouraging Beth to run towards her.
With only a very slight detour at the beginning to collect another ball, Beth made it to her mistress - albeit on the outside of the alley.
She was given another chance and had to be dragged away, barking in excitement as she was given the chance to run back to her.
Crouching on the ground, Camilla made a huge fuss of her. “She did well,” O’Grady admitted.
Then it was recue dog Sausage’s turn. She was brought down to the far end of the room but made clear, despite the presenter’s frantic squeaking of a toy pig, that she was going to make a beeline for the treats.
After hoovering up a few pieces of food, she ran over to the photographers and seemed more keen to say hello to them.
Camilla and Beth were duly handed a small trophy for their victory.
Battersea Brands Hatch opened in 1999 is is used for dogs and cats that suffer from stress or anxiety in the home’s busy London centre.
It is surrounded by 12 acres of fields and has re-homed around 3,000 dogs and cats over the last five years alone.
On her arrival Camilla was greeted with a ‘Doggy Guard of Honour’ and met some of the stray dogs looking for homes.
She greeted her friend O’Grady warmly with kisses and was introduced to Sausage.
She’s a bit of an escape artist, I hear,’ said Camilla of the wire-haired dachshund.
Inside the cattery she picked up nine-week-old kitten Bell who, along with its sibling Jingle, is looking for a home. ‘Hello, you are very sweet,’ she said.
Earlier a radio station gave The Prince of Wales his own royal request show.
Sheppey FM, a community radio station in Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, played the heir to the throne’s favourite songs during his visit to the town with Camilla.
The playlist during the 46-minute royal visit was an eclectic mix, ranging from Givin’ Up, Givin’ In by his old favourites The Three Degrees to La Vie En Rose by Edith Piaf, Upside Down by Diana Ross, and Charles Trenet crooning La Mer.
But when Charles and Camilla popped into the studio and he was invited to pick a favourite he came up with something not on the list: “I tell you what, if you’ve got anything by Jools Holland,” he said, giving a namecheck to his old friend, a regular visitor to Sandringham when the Prince is in residence during the summer. “He lives in Kent.”
Presenters Maz Camilleri and Anna Gillingham-Sutton, who said they had researched the Prince’s favourite songs on Google, found him a song featuring Holland and Ruby Turner, You Are So Beautiful.
