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King Charles Gifts Wheat Field to Struggling Hat Maker
10 Aug
Summary
- King Charles donated a field of wheat to hat maker Emily Hurst.
- Hurst's business struggled due to a national shortage of heritage straw.
- The donation aims to help her create hundreds of hats amidst heatwaves.
King Charles has made a remarkable donation to milliner Emily Hurst, providing her with an entire field of wheat from the Sandringham estate. Ms. Hurst, who specialises in high-end straw hats for women, had informed the King of her difficulties in sourcing heritage straw varieties like Maris Widgeon due to adverse weather conditions impacting harvests. This unexpected gift will allow her to potentially create hundreds of hats.
Ms. Hurst, a former recipient of a £10,000 bursary from Ascot Racecourse, previously trained at the King's Highgrove Gardens. Her creations have been sold through the Highgrove shop, with proceeds supporting the King's Foundation. The situation highlights the broader challenges faced by the UK, including ongoing extreme heat and its effect on agriculture, with farmers anticipating their worst harvest on record for 2026.
