Prince Charles, the Duke of Rothesay and the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, decided it would be fun to perform a reading of the lunchtime weather during his tour of BBC Scotland's headquarters, reading and improvising the weather as photographers&
Prince Charles, the Duke of Rothesay and the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, decided it would be fun to perform a reading of the lunchtime weather during his tour of BBC Scotland's headquarters, reading and improvising the weather as photographers' camera shutters noisily clicked away in the background. Courtesy

BBC Scotland probably had the most overqualified weatherman on hand for a reading of its midday weather report for Thursday. Prince Charles, the Duke of Rothesay and the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, decided it would be fun to perform a reading of the lunchtime weather during his tour of BBC Scotland's Pacific Quay headquarters, reading and improvising the weather as photographers' camera shutters noisily clicked away in the background.

When BBC's Sally Magnusson handed the broadcast over to the Prince of Wales, Magnusson let their guest be a surprise.

Let's take a look at the weather forecast now, and we'd like to say we've got a new member of our weather team tonight, Magnusson said. Let me hand it to him now.

Prince Charles was very relaxed at the beginning of his reading of the weather report:

Well it's an unsettled picture as we head towards the end of the week, Prince Charles said. This afternoon it'll be cold, wet, and windy across most of Scotland. We're under the influence of low pressure, and this weather front pushing northwards is bringing cloud and outbreaks and rain. The rain of course will be heaviest over the borders and around Edinburgh, where it could lead to difficult conditions on the roads.

Throughout his report, the BBC's weather map continually added in royal residences in Scotland, including the Balmoral Castle and the Castle of Mey. As the report went on, Prince Charles also loosened up a bit, improvising a few quips of his own.

On the West, rain will be light and patchier, Prince Charles said. There will maybe be a few drier interludes over Dumfries House in Ayrshire. It will be slow for the higher ground of the highlands and Aberdeenshire. The potential for a few flurries over Balmoral -- who the hell wrote this script? -- as the afternoon goes on.

The best of the drier and brighter weather will of course be over the Northern Isles in the far north of the mainland. So a little hazy sunshine for the Castle of Mey in Caithness, but a cold day everywhere with temperatures of just eight [degrees] Celsius and a brisk northeastly wind, Prince Charles said. Thank God it isn't a bank holiday.

Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, spent more than an hour at BBC Scotland on Wednesday, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary in broadcast television.

While Prince Charles was definitely a good sport to play the role of weatherman for BBC, he is not alien to TV appearances. Prince Charles regularly gives out interviews, and he's regularly found himself cameoing on several BBC programs. In 1984, Prince CHarles read his children's book, The Old Man of Lochnagar, on the BBC's long-running children's TV series Jackanory. In 2000, Prince Charles appeared on the 40th anniversary episode of the popular UK soap opera Coronation Street, and he even appeared in an adult cartoon series called bro'Town, based in New Zealand.

While Prince Charles is familiar with television, he is even more familiar with weather and climate. He has repeatedly made attempts to reduce the size of his own carbon footprint, and in 2007, he received the 10th Annual Global Environmental Citizen Award from Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment. He also more recently addressed the European Parliament in 2008, urging the European Union to fight against climate change. In February 2011, he spoke at the Low Carbon Prosperity Summit, reportedly lashing out at skeptics of climate change, saying they are playing a reckless game of roulette with the planet's future.

Watch Princes Charles' reading of the weather report below, and let us know what you think in the comments section at the bottom of the page.