Prince William could not resist stopping to buy a tradtional pasty as he arrived on the Isles of Scilly for his first official visit since inheriting the Duchy of Cornwall in September 2022, when his father King Charles ascended the throne.
The Prince of Wales, known locally as the Duke of Cornwall, arrived on St Mary’s by boat, having travelled from Tresco, one of the smaller islands.
As he disembarked the boat, called The Pegasus, which bore the Duke of Cornwall flag, a small cheer went up from a throng of onlookers on the harbour.
William hailed the “glorious” weather before strolling to the On the Quay cafe, where he bought five traditional pastys for £5.50 each.
He assured his servers Joely Dearman, 22, and Zachariah Fox, 28, both seasonal workers from north Devon, that they weren’t “all for me”.
Chatting to them, he asked: “What’s selling quickest this morning?”
Told it was the pasties, he added: “They smell Delicious. Makes your mouth water.”
The Prince also revealed he had enjoyed a dip in the sea this morning.
Outside, he told tourists lined up to greet him that he wished he could stay. “My family are very upset I’m here without them,” he laughed. “The children will kill me if I don’t go home later.”
He asked them if they were waiting to catch a boat. “We’re waiting for you!” One woman said. “I’m never sure,” William laughed.
His first stop is at St. Mary’s Harbour – the maritime gateway to the ireland – where he is meeting representatives from local businesses operating in the area.
The harbour is run by The Duchy of Cornwall and handles passengers and vessels – from ‘Tripper Boats’ and sail training vessels to fishing boats and those carrying special cargo deliveries – travelling to the Isles of Scilly, making it a crucial part of the community and a hub for the vital tourism industry across the islands.
William, 41, will spend time with harbour operators as well as local people from businesses on St. Mary’s, hearing from them about life on the islands and how they are preparing for the summer season, which sees approximately 100,000 visitors come to the islands each year.
The prince will also meet a gig boat team from the gig ‘Zelda’ who came third overall out of 422 crews in the 33rd World Pilot Gig Championships, which were held in Scilly last weekend. The crew are all born and bred Scillonians, who have rowed together for a number of years, achieving fourth place for a number of years, before finally reaching a podium finish in this year’s competition.
William will then go to St Mary’s Community Hospital to meet staff and hear about an exciting expansion project for a new integrated health and social care facility on land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall.
The facility will be game changing in terms of the range and quality of care that can be provided, whilst also ensuring that people can be cared for as close to home as possible, rather than having to travel to the mainland.
The Duchy have facilitated early entry onto the site to ensure that work can begin as soon as possible, with the new building set to open by next summer.
Yesterday, the heir visited Cornwall where he played an impromptu game of beach volleyball yesterday during his first trip away from wife Kate since she was diagnosed with cancer. His two-day tour is a hopeful sign that the Princess ofWales is doing well.
