Charles to give Queen and Duke tour of his model village Poundbury

The Prince of Wales will today give the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh a guided tour of his Poundbury development's latest phase.

Charles' model village is a mix of shops, cottages, town houses and businesses built on the edge of the Dorset town of Dorchester and reflecting his passion for classical architecture.

The heir to the throne, joined by the Duchess of Cornwall, will arrive with the Queen and Duke at Queen Mother Square - the heart of the development and a newly completed hub featuring classically designed commercial and residential buildings, most of which are named after the Queen Mother's favourite racehorses.

Poundbury has been built on Duchy of Cornwall land and the royal party will be greeted by Duchy representatives before touring the square and visiting the local Waitrose supermarket and attending a private reception in Jubilee Hall.

Later they will travel to the Royal Pavilion to meet architects involved in the development's design and Charles will give a brief explanation of Poundbury.

Work began on the project in 1993 and the idea was to create an urban quarter of Dorchester which gave priority to people, rather than cars, and where commercial buildings were mixed with residential areas, shops and leisure facilities to create a walkable community.

Today, Poundbury is home to 3,000 people in a mix of private and affordable housing. The community also provides employment to 2,100 people and is home to 185 businesses.

Before the Queen and Duke leave they will join Charles and Camilla for a short ceremony where a statue of the Queen Mother, created by Philip Jackson, will be unveiled.

Later the Prince and Duchess will mark the opening of Poundbury's Duchess Of Cornwall Inn, named, at the suggestion of Charles, after his wife.