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Charles and Cameron unite to save the planet
Last updated at 22:22pm on 23.12.06
Top: Tory party leader, David Cameron. Below: Prince Charles.
David Cameron and Prince Charles held a 'green summit' at a private dinner party where they discussed how they could work together to save the planet.
The two men, along with their wives, Samantha Cameron and the Duchess of Cornwall, are said to have 'got on famously' when they met for dinner in London earlier this month.
The intimate gathering was set up after the Prince of Wales expressed an interest in meeting the Tory leader, who admires the heir to the throne's support for action to protect the environment.
It was held at the home of author Simon Sebag Montefiore and his novelist wife Santa, just round the corner from Kensington Palace, the former home of Princess Diana.
Santa is the sister of "It-girl' Tara Palmer-Tomkinson. The girls' father, former Olympic skier Charlie Palmer-Tomkinson, is a close friend of Charles and their mother Patti is a confidante of Camilla.
Royal sources say that while careful to avoid being dragged into party politics, Charles has taken a close interest in Mr Cameron's decision to campaign on green issues.
Although Prince Charles has always got on well with Tony Blair, the dinner has highlighted just how much the Camerons and the Royal couple move in the same social circle.
Both couples are friends of Mr Sebag Montefiore, who lives close to the Camerons' home on the borders of Notting Hill.
Mr Sebag Montefiore wrote an acclaimed biography of Stalin and is a great-great nephew of Sir Moses Sebag Montefiore, a Jewish philanthropist and baronet friendly with Queen Victoria.
When Simon married Santa in 1998, Charles and Camilla attended and it marked Camilla's first public outing. Santa's party-loving sister Tara was banned from holidaying with Charles and his sons after confessing to having a cocaine habit.
Charles and Mr Cameron have been advised on green issues by environmental campaigner Zac Goldsmith, son of the late entrepreneur Jimmy Goldsmith.
Both have tried to lead by example: Charles has converted his Range Rover cars to bio-fuel and Mr Cameron is having an energy-saving wind turbine fitted to his new house. Both support hunting.
At the dinner party, Mr Cameron and the Prince discussed environmental issues over risotto, organic mutton and bread-and-butter pudding.
"They got on very well,' said a source. "They talked about Charles's recent conference on the environment and discussed architecture and culture.
"Charles enjoyed himself so much that he stayed much later than intended."
The disclosure that the two men had dinner together comes days after an opinion poll found the Tories hold an eight-point lead over Labour, suggesting the party is now on course to hold the most seats after the next General Election.
