King Charles Walks to Sandringham Church as Storm Boelo Brings Down Trees

King Charles was pictured walking to St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, rather than taking a car, as Storm Boelo swept across the estate. Hello Magazine reported the scene on Sunday 25 October.

The storm left damage across the estate. Several large trees fell, and one of them came down across the A149 and blocked the road. A large section of another tree dropped onto a nearby path while the King was inside the church for the service.

After the service, the King spoke with Edward Parsons, the Sandringham Estate manager, the person who runs the day-to-day work on the land. The King pointed to the fallen branches as they talked, according to Hello Magazine's account.

Storm Boelo brought heavy rain and winds of up to 80mph to the UK. The Met Office, the national weather service, had issued an amber warning for the storm, the second-highest level in its three-colour system. That warning covered a wide area, and the forecaster expected widespread gusts of 60-70mph within it. The strongest winds were forecast for Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the storm arriving over the weekend.

The King's day at Sandringham came just before a long trip abroad. King Charles and Queen Camilla begin a nine-day Caribbean tour on Tuesday 27 October. They will visit the Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda, and the tour runs until 4 November.

Royal visits of this kind are usually planned months ahead. The Court Circular, the official daily record of the King's engagements, is where any changes to the schedule are published.

For the moment, the story is a practical one. A walk to church, a fallen tree, and a conversation about the branches on the ground.