King Charles III donates wheat field to milliner amid UK heatwave

King Charles III has donated an entire field of wheat from his Sandringham estate in Norfolk to milliner Emily Hurst. The donation follows Hurst's difficulties in sourcing Maris Widgeon, a traditional British wheat variety used for high-quality straw hats, due to extreme weather and poor harvests.

Hurst, who received training at Highgrove, described the gesture as “surreal,” noting that the harvest could potentially provide enough material for hundreds of hats. Hurst has previously been supported by the Chanel and King's Foundation fellowship.

The donation comes as the United Kingdom faces a series of heatwaves and droughts. Agricultural experts warn that farmers could face the worst harvest on record, with potential grain losses of 2.5 million tons costing the industry nearly £400 million. Extreme temperatures have also contributed to wildfires across the country, including in Scotland.