WINES from a Forest of Dean vineyard were served at a prestigious anniversary event attended by King Charles III.

Three Choirs Vineyards, based at Newent, supplied three of its wines for celebrations marking 125 years of the Victoria League, of which the King is patron.

Members, guests and friends of the organisation gathered for the special event, where they enjoyed lunch accompanied by Three Choirs’ award-winning Classic Cuvée, Bacchus and Rosé wines.

Martin Fowke, winemaker at Three Choirs Vineyards, also attended the celebration and had the opportunity to meet the King.

Mr Fowke said the occasion continued a longstanding connection between the Gloucestershire vineyard and the Royal Family, with Three Choirs wines having previously been stocked at Highgrove.

He said: “King Charles III has a long history with Gloucestershire, as well as stocking Three Choirs Vineyards’ wine at Highgrove for a number of years.

“We were delighted that Three Choirs’ wine could make the same journey to this prestigious event, as the real-life Dick Whittington made in the 1300s, travelling from nearby Pauntley in Gloucestershire, to London.”

The anniversary celebration included speeches and the unveiling of a special commemorative plaque marking the Victoria League’s 125-year history.

Founded in 1901, the Victoria League works to strengthen links between people from across the Commonwealth and operates a student house in London.

The accommodation provides young Commonwealth students studying in the capital with an affordable “home away from home”, while giving residents the chance to make friends and learn from people from different Commonwealth countries.

Three Choirs Vineyards is one of England’s longest-established vineyards and has been producing wine from its Newent site for decades.

The royal occasion provided another high-profile showcase for the vineyard’s English wines, with its Classic Cuvée, Bacchus and Rosé all representing Gloucestershire at the landmark London celebration.