King and Queen to be shown ‘best of Jersey’ on their first Channel Islands visit in over a decade

The King and Queen will be introduced to the “best of Jersey”, including potato farmers, beekeepers and fishermen, on their first visit to the Channel Islands in more than a decade.

The royal couple, who last visited the Channel Islands in 2012, will arrive on Monday, when the King will be presented with locally laid duck eggs as a symbol of sustenance, replacing an 800-year tradition of presenting the monarch with two dead ducks.

In one of many nods to royal history, they will be led in St Helier’s Royal Square by the Royal Mace of 1663, gifted to the island by Charles II in recognition of its loyalty to the Crown.

As they make their way from the airport to a special sitting of the States Assembly, the island’s parliament, they will see a royal gun salute fired from the Duke of Edinburgh saluting gun battery, commissioned to commemorate Prince Philip in 2022 by a local living history group.

The presentation of duck eggs will form part of a homage paid by five senior seigneurs, or lords of the manor.

James Kaye, who lives in Colorado, is making a 10,000-mile round trip from his home in the US to take part in the ritual, having bought the ancient feudal title of Seigneur du Fief ès Poingdestre for £55,000 last year.

It was sold to him by Jerseyman Sam Le Quesne, who became Seigneur on the death of his father and made the decision not to adopt the title, according to the Jersey Evening Post.

Mr Le Quesne chose to donate the proceeds from the sale to Jersey Overseas Aid’s humanitarian relief work in Ukraine.

The King will not be expected to take duck eggs home in  his suitcase.

Instead, he will touch the bowl before they are accepted on his behalf by the Receiver General, the King’s representative on the islands.

The King and Queen will also be introduced to “the best of Jersey” at a Jersey Expo event featuring Jersey Cows and Jersey Royal potato farmers and take part in a miniature version of the Genuine Jersey Royal Potato Growing competition.

There will then be a parade and a tea party held in their honour.

The following day, on Guernsey, the King and Queen will be treated to a showcase of Guernsey culture, featuring traditional Guernsey dancers and local produce including ice cream made with local milk from Guernsey cows, local seafood, cider and ales and traditional Guernsey jumpers, known as “Guernseys”.

They will also visit Les Cotils, a Victorian country house, where the King will see some rare Golden Guernsey Goats.

The breed will be renamed the Royal Golden Guernsey Goat at a ceremony on Tuesday, marking the first time in recent history that the title has been granted to a livestock breed.

Royal titles are granted sparingly and only on the advice of the Cabinet Office.