The Duke of Edinburgh had a hands-on day of discovery and innovation on Thursday, despite royal pressure.
In Farnham, Surrey, the Duke visited the University of the Creative Arts, where he admired the intricate metalwork and even tried his hand at glassblowing, delighting students and staff with his curiosity and enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, at King’s Cross, he turned his attention to the world of physics.
The centerpiece of the Institute of Physics reception titled Physics Powering the Green Economy was Tokamak Energy’s ST25-HTS spherical tokamak, the first of its kind to use a complete set of high-temperature superconducting magnets.
HRH praised the “imagination and creativity” behind the project, discussing fusion energy and superconducting technology with company executives.
The tokamak, which once sustained a pulse of plasma for 24 hours, is now proudly on display at the IOP.
On Wednesday he joined leaders, ministers and the Japanese ambassador to officially open a new £400 million facility at Fujifilm Biotechnologies’ Belasis Avenue campus in Billingham.
