Their normal mode of royal transport is a Bentley . But Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were game for a laugh today as they took a ride on a tuk tuk round the gardens of Clarence House. The couple were lending their support to a charity rickshaw race that will take place later this in memory of Camilla's late brother, Mark Shand. The Travels To My Elephant trek will see participants, including model Yasmin Le Bon and her daughter, Amber, drive 500 kilometres across India to highlight the plight of the endangered Asian Elephant. Scroll down for video . Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales ride a rickshaw at Clarence House where they hosted a reception to launch the 'Travels to My Elephant' Rickshaw Race . The royal couple viewed two in a fleet of motorised rickshaws that have been decorated by fashion designers and artists, including DVF and Nicky Haslam, which will also be auctioned off for the cause. Much to the surprise of the waiting photographers, the future king and his wife duly jumped in one of the creations for a spin round their garden. Unfortunately for the royal passengers their driver, Camilla's nephew Ben Elliott, managed to stall the vehicle several times, sending the couple lurching forward and Charles to jokingly wag his finger. Camilla holds on tight as the rickshaw pulls into Clarence House for the event, which celebrates a fleet of thirty rickshaws that will journey 500km across Madhya Pradesh, India, in November . The event is called 'Travels to my Elephant' and is inspired by Elephant Family's late founder, Mark Shand, Camilla's brother, who passed away in April 2014 . Here they come! The couple looked quite at home taking the quirky form of transport . The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall during a reception to launch the Travels to My Elephant Rickshaw race at Clarence House, London . Eventually, he managed to get it started and whizzed off with the couple, both weeping with laughter, in the back. 'They aren't easy to drive those things,' businessman Mr Elliot, 39, later laughed. 'Fortunately I have got broad shoulders and so have they.' Earlier Camilla had been in tears as speakers, including her own husband, lined up to pay tribute to her late brother. Mark tragically died in a freak accident at the age of just 62 last April, after tripping over on a pavement in New York and suffering a catastrophic head injury. The adventurer was in the US to raise funds for his charity, Elephant Family, a cause that had dominated his colourful life since he rescued an Asian elephant, Tara, as a young man. Camilla looked a little uneasy in the back of the rickshaw in an all-blue outfit . Unfortunately for the royal passengers their driver, Camilla's nephew Ben Elliott, managed to stall the vehicle several times, sending the couple lurching forward and Charles to jokingly wag his finger . In November 2015, a fleet of thirty rickshaws will journey 500km across Madhya Pradesh, India, in a race to save Asia's elephants from extinction . Yasmin Le Bon, her daughter Amber, and actress Joanna Lumley study the decorated rickshaws . Supermodel mother and daughter duo, Yasmin and Amber Le Bon, joined Joanna Lumley at the event . Earlier Camilla had been in tears as speakers, including her own husband, lined up to pay tribute to her late brother, who passed away in 2014 . The rickshaw fleet will be decorated in London by a spectrum of artists, milliners and fashion houses including DVF, Nicky Haslam, Piers Atkinson and Gordon Murray . They're more accustomed to being chauffeured in Range Rovers and Rolls Royces, but The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall enjoyed a somewhat less conventional form of public transport . Simon and Annabel Elliot posed with  Ruth Powys outside the event at Clarence House . His travels with the pachyderm were recorded in his best-selling book ‘Travels on my Elephant.’ The grieving Duchess and her husband became Joint Presidents of Elephant Family after his death. In a short but affectionate speech Charles said yesterday; ‘I just want to say that when this terrible tragedy occurred last year and we lost Mark, my wife and I decided that we must keep his legacy going. ‘ . He described his late brother-in-law as being an ‘inspirational’ man whose work creating elephant ‘corridors’ in Asia were of ’enormous importance’ in allowing man and beast to live alongside each other. In all a fleet of thirty rickshaws will journey 500 kilometres across Madhya Pradesh, India, in a race to save Asia’s elephants from extinction. Mark Shand was brother to The Duchess of Cornwall and dedicated his life to saving Asia’s elephants. Someone enjoyed themselves! Prince Charles proved he was game for a laugh at today's event . Annabel Elliot and Ruth Powys were in attendance at the launch event at Clarence House today . Camilla held on tight as the rickshaw pulled into Clarence House . Ben Elliot, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and Ruth Powys have a catch-up as they admire the rickshaws . Among the participants is supermodel Yasmin Le Bon and her daughter, Amber, also a model. She told Mail Online: ‘Mark was a dear friend whose work was so important. It would be a crime not to carry it on. ‘I’m very into my cars but racing a rickshaw is going to be something else. ‘I am going to be the driver and Amber will be the navigator. We get on brilliantly but I think being cooped up in a rickshaw for eight days together it going to be explosive. ‘Luckily the engine is loud so I won’t be able to hear her – although I might be tempted to take some gaffer tape too. ‘I really want people to support us in any way they can. It is the mad sort of challenge Mark would thoroughly have approved of and its wonderful for the prince and duchess to lend their support.’ Among the participants is supermodel Yasmin Le Bon and her daughter, Amber, also a model . Yasmin  told Mail Online: 'Mark was a dear friend whose work was so important. It would be a crime not to carry it on. I’m very into my cars but racing a rickshaw is going to be something else' Since its launch in 2002, the charity has invested over £6m in conservation projects across Asia, working to secure elephant and wildlife habitats . In their role as Joint Presidents of Elephant Family, Prince Charles and Camilla viewed the first two completed rickshaws that will be taking part in the race . The late Mark Shand was in the US to raise funds for his charity, Elephant Family, a cause that had dominated his colourful life since he rescued an Asian elephant, Tara, as a young man . The grieving Duchess and her husband became Joint Presidents of Elephant Family after his death . Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles were shown a rickshaw by Yasmin Le Bon . Model Yasmin Le Bon, who looked glamorous in blue lace, examined the rickshaw design with Camilla . Elephant Family is the UK’s biggest funder of the endangered Asian elephant, of which there are believed to be just 35,000-40,000 in the wild. Since its launch in 2002, the charity has invested over £6m in conservation projects across Asia, working to secure elephant and wildlife habitats, supporting local communities to reduce incidents of human-elephant conflict and highlighting the plight of the Asian elephant with UK-wide education programs and publicity. Founded in 2002, Elephant Family takes a creative approach to conservation and is best known for Elephant Parade London which saw 258 brightly painted elephant sculptures installed throughout London. Prince Charles enjoyed a first glimpse of the decorated rickshaws with model mother and daughter duo, Amber and Yasmin Le Bon . Guests at the launch on Thursday include Mr Shand's former girlfriend Ruth Powys - the organisation's CEO - models Amber and Yasmin le Bon, pictured with Prince Charles, and actress Joanna Lumley . Prince Charles embraced Joanna Lumley at the reception after his ride in the rickshaw . The trek is being launched with the help of the Quintessentially Foundation, run by Camilla’s newphew, Ben Elliot, who is also taking part. For further details see www.travelstomyelephant.org .
Prince Charles, 66, and Camilla, 67, arrived at Clarence House in rickshaw . Hosted reception to launch the 'Travels to My Elephant' Rickshaw Race . In November, a fleet of  rickshaws will journey 500km across  India . Event pays tribute to Camilla's late brother and aims to save Asia's elephants from extinction . Mark Shand, who passed away last April, was a huge elephant fan .