You may have seen on social media, or recently on the front page of this very paper, that a few weeks ago, I visited St Osyth Priory. It is one of the great historic gems in the area, and subsequently I invited the King to do the same.

I am pleased to let you know that I have now stepped up my campaign to bring the King to Clacton. I have now written to him with a formal invitation. It would really be a wonderful thing to see a modern-day Royal visit the priory, not least as it would continue the strong historic ties between the estate and the Royal family.

Some 500 years ago, on one of her two trips to the Priory, Queen Elizabeth I planted a magnificent evergreen oak that proudly stood within its walls for centuries until it was felled in a storm in 1999. So, it would be an honour to see the King ceremonially plant a new, replacement oak following in the footsteps of her.

By visiting St Osyth, the King would also be able to see for himself the results of the hard work that has been done by the Sargeant family to preserve and restore the estate for the benefit of current and future generations.

He would also be able to learn about the contribution that the estate (and the accompanying St Osyth Priory and Parish Trust) makes to the community – including through the estate’s Education Centre and the trust’s focus on skills development.

We all know the King is a longstanding supporter of nature and wildlife, so I am sure he would be also interested in seeing what the conservation work that the estate has undertaken to preserve and grow the incredible Essex countryside and wildlife.

On behalf of my constituents, I am delighted to formally invite His Majesty the King to St Osyth. I will be sure to keep you up to date on this campaign.