he aims to fight the 'grave threat' of

Prince Charles has been slammed for 'animal cruelty' after revealing he treats his herds of cows with homeopathic remedies.

In a speech yesterday at a conference on the growing threat of antibiotic resistance, Charles announced that he had been treating the animals on his Gloucestershire estate, Home Farm, with homeopathic medicine for some time.

Experts have criticised the Prince for his approach, with some even claiming it is an example of him 'abusing his position as heir to the throne.'

Prince Charles revealed that he has been treating the animals on his Gloucestershire estate, Home Farm, with homeopathic medicine for some time (pictured with Prince William and their Ayrshire dairy cattle at Home Farm in 2004)

Edzard Ernst, emeritus professor at the University of Exeter, told the Guardian: 'It arguably amounts to animal cruelty to treat them with ineffective placebos such as highly diluted homeopathic remedies.'

While science campaigner Simon Singh said: 'The over-use of antibiotics is a serious issue, but Prince Charles's knee-jerk, ideological and illogical promotion of homeopathy is an yet another example of him abusing his position as heir to the throne.

'Instead of being allowed to pontificate while being unchallenged, Prince Charles should limit himself to talking to his plants.'

During his controversial speech the Prince discussed his concerns about cattle being treated with antibiotics.

He said: ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, I….would like to commend you on your strenuous efforts – at long last – to address the grave threats to health posed by antimicrobial resistance.'

‘As some of you may possibly be aware – maybe not - this issue has been of long standing and acute concern to quite a few people, including myself.

‘In fact, it was one of the reasons I converted my farming operation to an organic – or agro-ecological – system over thirty years ago, and why, incidentally, we have been successfully using homeopathic – yes homeopathic - treatments for my cattle and sheep as part of a programme to reduce the use of antibiotics.

‘So, I take great heart from the fact that Ministers, officials and scientists of such eminence and from so many countries are putting their collective minds to the development of a concerted course of action. ‘

The term homeopathy was first coined in 1870 by German doctor Samuel Hahnemann who believed traditional medicines at the time were doing more harm than good.

He developed the idea that if a substance in large doses causes certain symptoms, it could also be used in small doses to trigger the body’s natural system of healing – what is known as ‘like cures like’.

Speaking at a conference in London yesterday, he said he aims to fight the 'grave threat' of antibiotics reliance (pictured at Home Farm in 2007)

Active ingredients are diluted extensively and then given to the patient.

For example drinking too much coffee can cause sleeplessness and agitation but can be diluted into a homeopathic medicine to treat people with those symptoms, practitioners believe.

But critics have repeatedly dismissed homeopathic medicine as flawed and a waste of money.

They say the remedies are no more effective than placebos - and that any positive feelings that follow treatment are only due to the placebo effect and normal recovery from illness.

Some practices have also been attacked as dangerous as they are not just ineffective but discourage patients from seeking effective conventional treatment.

Charles has long advocated the practice and in his infamous ‘black spider’ memos to government ministers was revealed as having lobbied ministers to use more alternative medicines such a homeopathy on the NHS because he ‘couldn’t bear people suffering unnecessarily’.

He said he has been using homeopathic treatments for the cattle and sheep on his farm 'as part of a programme to reduce the use of antibiotics'

He wrote to the then health secretary Alan Johnson in 2007, telling him that an ‘anti-homeopathy campaign’ was damaging the health service.

Asked about his revelation yesterday and whether he was using homeopathy wholescale on his animals, a Clarence House spokesman said: ‘Homeopathy is used on a case by case basis at Home Farm, in combination with more conventional medicine, to minimise dependence on antibiotics.’

Yesterday’s conference at the Royal Society in London involved health experts and academics from around the world to discuss the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

Humans and animals have relied on antibiotics and other antimicrobials for decades, but bugs are developing resistance to the drugs designed to destroy them.

Continued resistance to drugs could lead to an estimated 10 million extra deaths worldwide from antibiotic-resistant infections by 2050, costing the global economy £69 trillion.

In 2013 the UK published a five-year antimicrobial resistance strategy aimed at slowing the development and spread of resistance, maintaining the efficacy of antibiotics and supporting the development of new treatments.

Delegates discussed the link between human and animal health as well as examining farming practices.

The event was hosted by chief medical officer Professor Dame Sally Davies and chief veterinary officer Professor Nigel Gibbens, while Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Defra minister George Eustice were also present.

Prince Charles has long advocated homeopathic treatment and in his infamous ‘black spider’ memos to government ministers was revealed as having lobbied ministers to use more alternative medicines such a homeopathy on the NHS because he ‘couldn’t bear people suffering unnecessarily’ (pictured in 2005)

In his speech Charles talked of ‘the overuse and abuse of antibiotics’ particularly in intensive, industrialized farming systems.

‘Ultimately, this is an agenda that affects us all, and the whole of any Government – not just those concerned with healthcare or agriculture,’ he said.

‘I have enormous sympathy for those engaged in the vital task of ensuring that as the world population continues to increase unsustainably, and travel becomes easier, antibiotics retain their ability to overcome disease.

‘It must be incredibly frustrating to witness the fact that, as has been pointed out by many authorities, antibiotics have too often simply acted as a substitute for basic hygiene, or as it would seem, as a way of placating a patient who has a viral infection or who actually needs little more than patience to allow a minor bacterial infection to resolve itself. ‘

He also called for ‘urgent and coherent global action’.



