King Charles wishes Morrisons staff early 'happy Christmas' at West Yorkshire HQ on his way to Leeds

Charles toured the Bradford HQ of the supermarket giant, as hundreds of staff gathered to watch from balconies and stairwells. It is his first visit to the region since becoming king. After stopping in Bradford, the King is visiting Leeds Central Library and Leeds Building Society in Leeds on the next leg of his tour.

There are road closures and bus diversions in place during his visit to Leeds and our reporter, Charles Gray, will be among all the action – getting live reaction from crowds during the King’s visit.

As he arrived at Morrisons, he chatted to people who worked at stores around the region, telling them: “Thank-you for your wonderful efforts. I hope they let you off at Christmas.”

Later, in a short speech, he told the staff: “It’s a great joy to see you all today. I had no idea quite how many of you worked here at Morrisons.”

After discussing his tour and work he had heard about in the community, the King said: “I can only thank you for all that, wish you every possible success in the future and, eventually, a really happy Christmas ahead.”

The King then left Morrisons for further engagements in Bradford city centre and Leeds. On Wednesday, he will be joined by the Queen Consort for engagements in York and Doncaster, including unveiling a statue of his late mother at York Minster.