PRINCE CHARLES stole the hearts of caf staff in the region on Valentine's Day yesterday.

Harrogate's famous Bettys tearooms welcomed the Prince of Wales, who joined schoolchildren, regular customers and suppliers at the Parliament Street premises at his own request.

The visit follows the company's Queen's Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development, which recognised parent firm Taylors' commitment to organic ingredients, many of them supplied by local farms.

Waitresses Pepita Talens and Pilar Vidal - who have 40 years experience with Bettys between them - were chosen to serve the Prince, who was presented with a special 2ft-high loaf, representing the feathers of his emblem, which took 40 hours to bake.

Taylors confectioners also gave him a Biber Valentine Heart - an intricately decorated heart-shaped biscuit - although no one was saying who he may want to present it to as a gift.

After enjoying afternoon tea to music and song, Prince Charles also helped plant a tree in the gardens opposite Bettys to mark Taylors achievements in the Trees For Life appeal.

The firm's fundraising has helped cover the cost of planting two million trees around the globe.

"It has been a very special day for all of us," said Bettys manager June Wood.

"It was a great honour to welcome the Prince to our family business and we hope he enjoyed his taste of Yorkshire as much as we did."

Earlier in the day, the Prince also visited the village of East Keswick, near Wetherby, West Yorkshire, which was the northern regional winner of the Calor Village of the Year 2001 competition and is home to one of the few village-based wildlife trusts in the country.