Prince Drops In for a 5-Day Visit : Royalty: Charles, heir to British throne, plans tours of education and youth centers in L.A. He charms guests during a reception at the consulate after his arrival.

Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, arrived in Los Angeles on a balmy Halloween afternoon, his first visit here in 17 years.

As befits royalty in a democratic society, the prince of Wales traveled on a routine British Airways flight--though he and his entourage of 11 did take up all of the first-class section. But unlike the reception for the other 260 passengers, waiting for him was a red carpet flanked by Mayor Richard Riordan, British Ambassador Sir Robin Renwick, and County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, plus a motorcade of shiny black Jaguars to whisk him to a reception at the British Consulate.

Not among that entourage--his estranged wife, Diana, the princess of Wales. As Charles set off on a five-day visit--mainly of education and youth centers in South-Central and other parts of Los Angeles--he leaves behind a flurry of publicity as London papers present the latest details of his crumbled marriage.

Of course, one glance at a newsstand from his motorcade will tell him that the headlines have followed him here. But given the other news distractions in Los Angeles, Charles may find the city a relatively safe haven.

“He was very relaxed,” said Riordan, who could be seen laughing as they chatted on the Tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport. As for the tabloid headlines, the mayor said: “I think he’s capable of putting all that aside.”

Certainly Charles did just that as he sped from the airport to the Hancock Park residence of British Consul General Merrick Baker-Bates for a reception for 200--who included community activists, local business leaders, a smattering of politicians, and one famous actress, British-born Angela Lansbury.

As most guests waited in the spacious garden behind the consul general’s house, a receiving line of nearly a dozen people stood in the drawing room, chatting giddily and smoothing their hair into place in anticipation of the prince’s arrival.

Charles glided into the drawing room, a phalanx of aides behind him, a flash of camera lights in front. He sported a double-breasted, dark-blue suit, and the back of his neck was ruddy from the sun. “He’s been spending quite a lot of time outdoors the last couple of weeks in Scotland,” said his press secretary, Allan Percival.

Charles moved along the line, his mellifluous voice so low that barely anyone other than the person to whom he talked could hear. He seemed a master at working a room--for every person, he had something to say.

He asked Shirley Allen, executive director of the Compton office of Cities in Schools, if she stayed in touch with another Cities in Schools coordinator in Wales. She proffered a gift of a pen and pencil set and paperweight--emblazoned with the seal of the city of Compton--and Charles thanked her before deftly handing it to an aide behind him who handed it to yet another aide behind him.

From Vic Wallis, the head of trade for the British Consulate, and his wife, Jaki, the prince wanted to know how they had fared during their move to Los Angeles two days after the earthquake.

“Do they take extra time when they build houses here?” Charles asked them.

The tour of the receiving line completed, the prince declared to the room: “Let’s have a drink!” The group laughed, and Charles, who had just spent 10 1/2 hours on a plane, mused, “It must be 6 o’clock in the world somewhere.”

Actually, it was a dry reception--orange juice, tonic and Evian water were lined up on tables. But Charles was too busy working the garden of guests to drink much of anything.

“He has a great sense of humor,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky as he left the party. “I reminded him that he and I had met 17 years ago at City Hall and he said, ‘Well, you still don’t have a gray hair on you.’ ”

Councilman Nate Holden said he told the prince that he had once run in the London Marathon. “He invited me to come back and run it again,” Holden said.

Besides Holden and Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles City Council President John Ferraro also made it to the reception. All the members of the council were invited. Deane Dana also made it from the County Board of Supervisors.

After the garden party, Charles on behalf of his mother, the queen, conferred honorary British orders on two guests. Lansbury was appointed Commander of the British Empire. Arco Chairman Lod Cook, who has been involved in several of the prince’s charities, was made the Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Only in Britain are there titles like that.

“I told him I liked his ring and I wanted to get one,” said Thomas Ferguson of Inner City Ministries, who admired the prince’s gold signet ring. The prince told him the insignia dated back to the 1400s. “He said I couldn’t get one,” laughed Ferguson.

Times staff writer Isaac Guzman contributed to this story.