He is a passionate champion of global environmental causes from climate change to deforestation and ocean pollution.

But it was an eco-friendly skill closer to home that was recently brought to the attention of Prince Charles and provided him with the opportunity to shower praise on 13-year-old Atlantic Academy student Tiffany Lee.

Tiffany is a talented hedge layer and her step-mother, who has assisted HRH, flagged the teenager’s ability prompting an invite Tiffany to the Sandringham Estate as part of a Patron's Event.

Tiffany travelled from her home in Underhill, Portland, earlier this month for her special visit and revealed: ‘’It was a really nice day and Sandringham Estate is beautiful, Prince Charles is very proud of his hedges. He drove up with his bodyguard to look at the hedges I was laying and he said mine were very neat and that the cuts were very nice.

‘’We had some curried pumpkin soup, hot chocolate and tea to eat and drink. It was a really exciting day and a great opportunity.’’

Charles has been a vocal ambassador for holding on to old-fashioned skills that are known to be better for the environment such as hedge laying and is keen to encourage young people to take an interest.

Tiffany could not agree more. She said: ‘’Hedge laying is better than building fences. Hedges last longer, they are more sustainable and hedges keep animals in the field better and keep them safer than fences.

‘’I’ve been helping to lay hedges around my dad’s house in Dorset since I was little. I started when I was five and I do it most weekends. I find it relaxing and it doesn’t matter how long it takes, I always feel a sense of accomplishment.

‘’I would love to be a hedge layer when I’m older and go back and work on the Sandringham Estate.’’

Lesley Bishop, Principal at Atlantic Academy in Portland, said: ‘’ It is wonderful to see our students taking part in securing our future and making our countryside sustainable. We are really proud of Tiffany who has a bright future ahead of her and is a real role model to younger students to get involved in activities that have a community focus and purpose.”