THE Prince of Wales has applauded the stoicism of rural communities, as he urged people to remain resourceful and compassionate in the dark winter months ahead.

In a leader for Country Life magazine to mark his 72nd birthday on Saturday, the prince said the world had experienced changes that could never have been foreseen since he was last asked to write for the publication at Easter.

He praised the strength of society and and the stoical determination seen during the pandemic.

Charles said: “Over the past months, amid all the disruption to the outward appearance of our lives, what has been increasingly apparent is the profound strength of our society: its resourcefulness, its compassion and its stoical determination to keep doing the right thing, despite all challenges.

“Nowhere has this been more apparent than in our rural communities, where people are long accustomed to looking out for one another, taking the long view and putting others before themselves.

“As the familiar colours of autumn fade and we move into the darker months of the year, it is clear that those qualities will be called upon once again. I am sure that they will not be found wanting.”

Charles, a passionate supporter of rural communities, called on people to look to the long-term.

“If the life of the land teaches anything, it is the need to look at the long-term; at the deep and enduring strengths and qualities that continue through the slow rhythm of the seasons, through nature’s ever-rejuvenating generation of new life,” he said.

“We must respect the temporary fury of the waves, but we can trust the steady character of the tides.

“We must judge by the season, not the storm.”

The heir to the throne highlighted the importance of working with nature to create a green recovery and how nature must not be betrayed.

He also talked about how he had sought solace in the natural world during the coronavirus crisis.

“In seeking solace during this challenging time, I have turned again directly to the natural world for the answers, as our ancestors did so often,” the prince said.

He stressed the need to help family farms, find solutions to on-farm plastics, and embrace the potential of agro-ecological farming systems.

The prince also praised rural volunteers for supporting and providing food for those in need.

Charles said: “As we take up the challenge before us, let us, for our part, not betray nature. Let us work together with the natural world to create the green recovery that out of this dark time will bring a brighter future.”

The leader appears in the November 11 edition of Country Life.