AN early birthday present for The Prince of Wales has been unveiled at Hereford Cathedral.

The stone carving, featuring the feathers on the prince’s heraldic badge, was designed and produced in a week by stonemason Patrik Pripko, of Herefordshire based masonry company Capps and Capps Ltd.

It will be part of the restoration of the cathedral’s south nave clerestory, marking the prince’s 60th birthday this November.

“A number of new decorative stone features were being carved as part of the current restoration phase,” said Glyn Morgan, secretary of the Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust.

“We were conscious that one of them would be the keystone of the central window of the south nave and we wanted to ensure that it marked something of significance.

“The Prince has been a wonderful supporter of our work ever since the trust was founded and it just seemed so appropriate to use this opportunity to mark a very special event.”

The design for the stone was inspired by the programme cover produced for the gala concert hosted by the Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall at St James’s Palace in December 2005 to mark the Perpetual Trust’s 10th anniversary.

For information on sponsorship of stones, contact the trust on 01432 374261.