After receiving his crown, King Charles had no time for parties – getting straight to work by announcing a new site working to get net zero aviation up and flying.

He paid the Whittle Laboratory at Cambridge University a visit, to unveil its latest research facility that will bring together the top aviation and energy experts in the world to get closer to zero-emission flights.

The King lauded the people at the Whittle, as they have “the innovative capacity and the engineering skills to help lead what we need so badly and so urgently in order to save this planet from increasing catastrophe.”

“The more we can do, the faster we can do it, with the kind of systems you have here at the Whittle to accelerate the research and development, is so important and encouraging. I am full of admiration for the incredible activities which go on here in engineering and so many other fields.”

His visit marked three years since his first, when still a Prince, he made clear: “The need to de-carbonise flight must remain at the top of the agenda. While many are calling for net zero flights by 2050, I would like to challenge you all to think about halving that time frame to 2035.”

Before becoming King, Charles was always open about his desire to fight climate change and support the reduction of carbon emissions.

However, since the death of the Queen last year, he stated he would be having to step back from his work with “issues” and “charities” that he holds dear.

During his tour of Whittle, the monarch was accompanied by the Energy Secretary Grant Shapps and Science Minister George Freeman.

On his visit, Buckingham Palace released a statement, reading: “Today, it typically takes six to eight years to develop a new technology to the point where it can be considered for commercial deployment in the aerospace and energy sectors.

“Recent trials in the Whittle laboratory have shown this timeframe can be accelerated by breaking down silos that exist between academia and industry.”