Prince Charles made a string of sheep puns as he addressed the Dumfries House Wool Conference.

Prince Charles

Prince Charles

The 67-year-old royal attend the event, which was organised by The Campaign for Wool, alongside a number of big players in the fashion and interiors industry including British designer Sir Paul Smith, Alan Folwell, the chairman of Adam Carpets and model David Gandy.

Speaking to the audience, the Prince said: "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the one occasion on which I really do want to pull the wool over your eyes but I won't ram the point home as it would be a very non-ewe thing to do!

"It is very good of you all to come here today representing, as you do, every part of the wool chain and from all the major wool-growing countries. I do hope you have all had a chance to contribute to the day's discussions and to pick up ideas from each other. Needless to say, I am enormously grateful to Marks and Spencer for their dedicated support for this conference and further interest in the reassuring of some of the manufacturers."

The Prince of Wales - who is next in line to the British throne - spoke of his passion for supporting those who rely on the land for their livelihoods.

He concluded: "As someone who minds deeply about the prospects for farmers and rural livelihoods and worries about the desperate environmental consequences for our children and grandchildren of relying on products made from fossil fuels, this is a cause that means a lot to me. I can only hope it does to you too.

"So, I have just agreed to continue as Patron of the Campaign for Wool for a further five years and I am very proud indeed to endorse the Dumfries House Wool Declaration. With your help, I am going to do everything I possibly can to build on the success we have achieved, thus ensuring that wool receives proper recognition for all its wonderful, natural attributes."