Prince Charles is worried the coronavirus pandemic could ''destroy'' the British cheese industry.

The 71-year-old royal has found ''comfort'' in the dairy product during the global health crisis, and has encouraged people to go out and buy locally sourced cheese in order to stop the pandemic from ''destroying one of the most wonderful joys in life''.

In a post shared to the Clarence House Instagram page, Charles said: ''One thing that undoubtedly brings many of us great comfort is good food. It is, therefore, deeply troubling to learn that this crisis risks destroying one of the most wonderful joys in life - British cheese!''

The royal - who battled a mild case of coronavirus himself and has since recovered - has been patron of the Speciality Cheesemakers Association since 1993, and is passionate about supporting local cheeses.

He added: ''By sourcing British cheese from local shops and cheesemongers, and directly from producers online, you can make a vital contribution to keeping these small businesses afloat during the prevailing crisis.''

And to give people something to do with their dairy delights, Charles also shared a recipe for one of his ''favourite recipes'' - cheesy baked eggs.

The ingredients include a helping of strong soft cheese - examples of which included British-based Tunworth and Golden Cenarth - and a sprinkling of grated hard cheese, such as Old Winchester.

Charles' love of cheese is much-discussed, as his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, previously told contestants on 'MasterChef Australia' in 2018 that they could win over the Duke of Cornwall by adding cheese to their dishes.

She said: ''He loves, loves local cheeses. He's a huge cheese fan, anything to do with cheese, he will love.''

Charles is also passionate about other locally farmed produce, and recently penned an article in which he highlighted the important role UK farmers are playing during the pandemic.

He wrote last month: ''When was the last time anyone gave the availability of a bottle of milk, or a loaf of bread, or fresh vegetables a second thought? Suddenly, these things are precious and valued. And this is how it always should be.

''Food does not happen by magic. If the past few weeks have proved anything, it is that we cannot take it for granted. In this country, there are 80,000 farmers producing our food - from the Fells of Cumbria to the arable and vegetable lands of East Anglia; from the Welsh Mountains to the Scottish fishing villages; from the dairy fields of Cornwall and Northern Ireland to the orchards of Kent. Day in and day out, they are working to produce food - for us. And we owe them an enormous debt of gratitude. But they cannot do it alone.''