Prince Charles keeps his wallet shut as he visits Bahraini souk gold traders

The Prince of Wales took Camilla into a Bahraini souk today — but didn’t spend a penny.

An enthusiastic gold trader showed a smiling Duchess of Cornwall his most expensive trinkets and bangles.

Asked if he would like to buy any, Prince Charles joked “We know where you are!” as Camilla chuckled.

The couple, on a whistlestop tour of the Middle East, met craft makers and listened to Punjabi drummers and other traditional music acts.

They later toured the Krishna Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in Bahrain, where they learnt about its history and the local Hindu community.

They were welcomed with garlands before a short meeting with priests and then had a reception with members of different faith communities as well as volunteers working for the Migrant Workers Protection Society.

The compound is the focal point for the community, used for religious workshops, gatherings and celebrations of Hindu festivals such as Diwali and Holi.

Later Charles visited Al-Fateh Grand Mosque, the largest in the country. He met six members of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs before taking a short tour of the building.

Bahrain prides itself on being one of the most religiously diverse countries in the Middle East, with freedom of worship guaranteed for all faiths.

Members of different faith communities are well represented in public life with Bahraini Jews, Christians and Muslims working in parliament, the government and the public sector.

The Prince, who turns 68 on Monday, has worked for many years to encourage inter-faith dialogue and a greater understanding of different religions in Britain and abroad and was awarded an honorary doctorate for his efforts. He was the first Western man to receive the honour.

Their visit to the centre of the capital started at the Old Post Office Museum where the Prince and the Duchess viewed an exhibition of historic stamps including the 1948 British Royal Silver Wedding stamp — printed the year Charles was born — and continued with visits to the Sheikh Isa Cultural Centre.

Later the Prince visited HMS Jufair naval base at the Mina Salman port and Camilla went on a separate visit to hear about the work and achievements of the Supreme Council for Women and the status and achievements of women in Bahrain — as well as the challenges they face.