King Charles and Queen Camilla showcased their love of the outdoors as they attended the first-ever Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) show on their Sandringham estate today.

The delighted royal couple were met with the sounds of cheers by elated well-wishers as they arrived by horse and carriage at the grounds in Norfolk.

Their Majesties shook hands with excited members of the public while Camilla was met with a rather excited dog who jumped up on his back legs in an attempt to embrace the Queen.

Dressed in an effortlessly elegant green and white collared dress which she paired with light brown shoes and a woven bag, Camilla was all smiles as she arrived at the inaugural event.

She accessorised with a pair of pearl earrings and light makeup, while Charles looked dapper in a brown linen suit and purple tie.

Featuring floral displays, garden designs, demonstrators from lead gardeners and horticultural experts, the first day of the event is set to explore the role of sustainability and wildlife-friendly gardening.

As part of Charles and Camilla's visit, the royal couple will tour the RHS Royal Legacy Garden designed by Catherine McDonald, in collaboration with His Majesty, 77.

Charles will then present The King's Biodiversity Award to the winning show garden or exhibitor, while Camilla, 79, will present The Queen's Choice of Upcycled Containers award.

King Charles and Queen Camilla showcased their love of the outdoors as they attended the first-ever Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) show in Sandringham today

The royal couple were met with the sounds of cheers by well-wishers as they arrived by horse and carriage at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk

Their Majesties shook hands with excited members of the public while Camilla was met with a rather excited furry friend who was keen to embrace the Queen

Running from July 22 to 26, the horticultural show will take place once every three years at the site in a similar format to the long-established Sandringham Flower Show.

It comes after local residents complained about the King's 'vermin infestation' in gardens on his sprawling Sandringham estate.

At a recent Sandringham parish council meeting one resident raised the issue of vermin in the gardens of the 300 or so rental properties.

The Sandringham estate manager, Rob Timmins, attending the meeting, said the responsibility for pest control lies with the 'occupier, not the property owner.'

It comes after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's new home on the estate, Marsh Farm in Wolferton, was invaded by moles earlier this year - with dozens of molehills suddenly appearing all over the front lawn.

But the problem is believed to be worse than that, including rats and mice attracted by the nearby crops and food sources.

Tenants in King Charles' properties at Sandringham are banned from keeping cats, which means that mice, rats and other vermin are more common in the area.

The prohibition dates back to Queen Elizabeth II, who brought it in to save wildlife – but according to one tenant, it gives rats 'a free pass'.

'There are always rodents in an agricultural area like this,' one tenant told the Daily Mail, on condition of anonymity, 'but most people can keep the numbers under control by having a cat.

Dressed in an effortlessly elegant green and white collared dress which she paired with light brown shoes and a woven bag, Camilla was all smiles as she arrived at the inaugural event

Featuring floral displays, garden designs, demonstrators from lead gardeners and horticulatural experts, the first day of the event is set to explore the role of sustainability and wildlife-friendly gardening

As part of Charles and Camilla's visit, the royal couple will tour the RHS Royal Legacy Garden designed by Catherine McDonald, in collaboration with His Majesty, 77

Their Majesties arrival at the long-awaited event in Sandringham comes as the pair's grandson, Prince George, celebrates his 13th birthday today.

Shortly before Charles and Camilla's arrival, the future King's parents shared a photo of George on their social media accounts with the message 'Happy 13th birthday, George!'

The picture was taken at Kensington Palace by one of the couple’s favourite and most trusted photographers, Matt Porteous, and marks an important new stage in the young royal’s life.

In September he will become a boarder at Eton College, marking the start of his senior school experience.

He is set to follow in the footsteps of his father, Prince William, who met some of his best friends at the school.

It will be the first time since 2019 that George has attended school without at least one of his two siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

George, who is the eldest of the Wales children with younger siblings Charlotte, 11, and Louis, eight, was first introduced to the world when his parents stepped out of the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in London with him in their arms.

According to royal commentator Michael Cole, Charles plays the  loving role of a 'hands-on' grandparent with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. 

When Prince George was born in 2013, Charles spoke of how 'overjoyed' he was to have become a grandfather.

Their Majesties arrival at the long-awaited event in Sandringham comes as the pair's grandson, Prince George, celebrates his 13th birthday today

He explained: 'Grandparenthood is a unique moment in anyone's life, as countless kind people have told me in recent months, so I am enormously proud and happy to be a grandfather for the first time.'

In a touching tribute to his first grandson, Charles planted trees at Balmoral and called it Prince George's Wood.

During a 2018 interview for Prince, Son \& Heir – Charles at 70, Queen Camilla said of her husband: 'He will get down on his knees and crawl about with them for hours, you know making funny noises and laughing and my grandchildren adore him, absolutely adore him.'

She continued: 'He reads Harry Potter, and he can do all the different voices, and I think children really appreciate that.'

In agreement, William described Charles as a 'brilliant grandfather' – although he wished he could spend more time with the grandchildren.

'It's something I'm working more heavily on, put it that way,' William said. 'I think he does have time for it, but I would like him to have more time with the children.

'I think he's… now he's reached his 70th year it's a perfect time to consolidate a little bit because as most families would do, you are worried about having them around and making sure their health's okay. And he's the fittest man I know but equally I want him to be fit until he's 95.

'So, having more time with him at home would be lovely, and being able to you know, play with the grandchildren.

'Because when he's there, he's brilliant. But we need him there as much as possible.'