The Prince of Wales today toasted his investure as a Freeman of the City of Ripon with a glass of malt whisky.

Just moments after receiving the honour at Ripon Cathedral the heir to the throne popped into a local pub and sampled a glass of 18-year-old Glenmorangie.

The Prince visited the Royal Oak pub on a visit to the picturesque North Yorkshire market town in 1994 and it seems he was keen to revisit his old haunts on today's trip.

Landlady Melanie Coe said they named one of the bars after the Prince in honour of his 1994 visit. She said: ''It was lovely to see him again. I just asked him what he wanted and he said he would love a whisky. I just grabbed the nearest bottle to me and it happened it be a Glenmorangie. I'm just glad it was the 18-year-old one.''

The Prince stayed for several minutes chatting with locals before continuing with the rest of his visit.

Just a few minutes earlier Charles became only the second member of the Royal Family to receive the freedom of the city in it's 1100-year history.

During a 20 minute ceremony attended by 600 guests including schoolchildren, local residents and dignitaries the Prince was invested as a freeman of the city.

The honour was in recognition of Prince Charles's interest and encouragement in the city's regeneration efforts. He first visited the city in 1994 to launch the Vision of Ripon exhibition and he returned in 1997 to witness its progress.

During today's brief service he said he was ''deeply touched and honoured to received the freedom of the city''. He said: ''Ripon is one of this country's cultural and social jewels. It is the economic and social heart of a much wider rural community giving it a real sense of identity and belonging. It deserves to be preserved and maintained and given new life and hope for future generations.''

As well as the Prince, Michael Abrahams, chairman of the Ripon Improvement Trust and a key figure in the regeneration of the city was also given the freedom of the city.

Later Charles was due to meet business leaders to discuss the regeneration of market towns under his role as President of Business in the Community (BiTC).