Published: 09 January 2012
by PAVAN AMARA

PRINCE Charles visited three Camden churches on Thursday, finishing with an evening mass at St Michael’s Church to celebrate the Christian ­festival of Candlemas.

The Prince of Wales admired the architecture of the church in Camden Road, was introduced to around 50 volunteers and took a brief tour of the church’s community gardening project.

Later in the evening he was joined by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, for an evening mass with the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres.

Father Philip North, vicar at St Michael’s, said: “This church has been revived. Fifteen years ago this place was dead, and a lot of people have worked very hard to get it the way it is now.

“When I first came here around five people would turn up to Sunday mass, now there are about 120 members of the regular congregation.”

The Prince began his afternoon at St Mary’s in Somers Town and continued on to St Michael’s, before making a brief stop at St Silas, and returning to St Michael’s. Volunteers from charities London Citizens, Urban Growth, Winter Night Project, and Year 5 pupils from St Michael’s waited for the Prince.

Jobaer Ahammad, 10, said: “I am pretty shocked he’s here. I feel like we’re the luckiest children, because he’s a very busy Prince but he still came.”

Rochelle Phillips-Walters, nine, said she was “delighted” to meet a future king.

She said: “When I’m older he’ll be the King, and I’ll think, I met him.”

A spokeswoman for the Prince said: “I’m sure Prince Charles agrees this is a beautiful church. He is pleased to be somewhere where the local community is so engaged in improving things and helping each other.”