Prince William couldn’t resist snapping up the South West’s most famous savoury treat as his tour of the Scilly Isles continued on Friday – and suggested he was taking some of the edible souvenirs home for his family.
William, 41, who is known locally as the Duke of Cornwall, arrived at St Mary’s Harbour on St Mary’s, the largest of the Scilly Isles by boat, having travelled from Tresco, one of the smaller islands this morning.
The Prince is continuing with his royal duties while the Princess of Wales receives treatment for abdominal cancer. In Nigeria, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle began the first day of their three-day visit to the African nation.
Clearly in cheered spirits, and sharing that he’d already enjoyed a morning swim, the Prince was seen disembarking a boat called The Pegasus, which bore the Duke of Cornwall flag, as he arrived at St Mary’s maritime harbour.
Prince William, known as the Duke of Cornwall in the South West, looked sorely tempted by the traditional Cornish pasties on sale in On the Quay cafe in St Mary’s Harbour on Friday as his tour of the Scilly Isles continued
The royal, 41, stumped up £27.50 for five of the pasties, one for each family member as he chatted to cafe workers Joely Dearman, 22, and Zachariah Fox, 28
A small cheer went up from a throng of onlookers on the harbour as he stepped quayside for the final day of his visit to the South West region.
Wearing a pair of stylish sunglasses to protect his eyes from the Cornish sun, the Prince donned a brown blazer with matching brogues and his favourite navy chino trousers as he made his way along the water’s edge.
He hailed the ‘glorious’ weather before strolling to the On the Quay cafe, where he bought five traditional Cornish pasties for £5.50 each.
He was served by Joely Dearman, 22, and Zachariah Fox, 28, both seasonal workers from north Devon.
The Prince of Wales looked in good spirits as he chatted to local business people during a visit to St. Mary’s Harbour, the maritime gateway to the Isles of Scilly
‘Are you waiting for a boat?’ The Prince joked that he was never sure when he saw crowds if they were actually there for him
The Prince pictured arriving on St Mary’s; the royal will return to Windsor later today to spend the weekend with the Princess of Wales, who’s undergoing cancer treatment, and their children
Local primary school children were among those lining the quay in anticipation of William’s arrival on the largest of the Scilly Isles this morning
Prince Williams leans in for a chat with the shy-looking youngsters during his visit
‘What’s selling quickest this morning?’ he asked. Told it was the pasties, the Prince was clearly hooked on the idea of buying some, saying: ‘They smell Delicious. Makes your mouth water.’
Outside, he also told tourists lined up to greet him that he wished he could stay for a little longer but said he would return home to spend the weekend in Windsor.
‘My family are very upset I’m here without them,’ he laughed. ‘The children will kill me if I don’t go home later.’
The Prince later visited St. Mary’s Community Hospital to meet staff and hear about a new integrated health and social care facility which is set to be built on adjacent land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall
The Prince ‘broke ground’ to mark the first step towards the new facility, which will offers integrated health services to the local community
The 41-year-old royal’s digging was given a round of applause, with work on the island’s new facility due to start shortly
The heir-to-the-throne is shown around St Mary’s Community Hospital on the island
William is seen shaking hands with healthcare professionals at the hospital
He asked the well-wishers if they were waiting to catch a boat.
‘We’re waiting for you!’ One woman said. ‘I’m never sure,’ William responded.
The Prince also met representatives from local businesses on the harbour front on St Mary’s, the largest of the Scilly islands.
The harbour is run by the Duchy of Cornwall and is considered the maritime gateway to the islands – a crucial part of the community, which relies on the tourism industry.
It handles passengers and vessels travelling to the Isles of Scilly from ‘Tripper Boats’ and sail training vessels to fishing boats and those carrying special cargo deliveries.
Wearing a pair of sunglasses, the Prince donned a brown blazer with matching brogues and his favourite navy chino trousers for the visit
Smile! An onlooker takes a photo of the royal as he makes his way into the quayside area of St Mary’s
The Duke of Cornwall also shared that he’d enjoyed a morning dip before making the boat trip from neighbouring isle Tresco
The Scilly Isles waters glinted in the sunshine as William chatted with a medal-winning boat crew
The Prince later visited St. Mary’s Community Hospital to meet staff and hear about a new integrated health and social care facility which is set to be built on adjacent land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall.
After being given a spade, the Prince ‘broke ground’ to mark the first step towards the new facility, which will offers integrated health services to the local community.
Meanwhile, on another continent, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle began their 72-hour tour of Nigeria today, as the Duke evoked memories of his suffering after his mother Princess Diana’s death.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex met officials and children at the Wuse Lightway Academy this morning, hours after their arrival in Abuja in the early hours.
Harry spoke to a group of pupils at the school, which is supported by the couple’s Archewell Foundation, about mental health and referenced when someone has ‘lost a loved one in your family and you don’t know who to turn to or who to speak to’.
The Prince, who’s travelling home this evening, has been enjoying a mini tour of the South West
The Duke – who was 12 and his brother William 15 when Diana died in Paris in 1997 – added that there was ‘no shame to be able to acknowledge that today is a bad day’,
He also told the children: ‘You can have it, she (Meghan) can have it, I can have it. They can have it. Every single one of us is likely to have it on any given day.’
The couple flew in together just before 5am following a secret reunion at London Heathrow’s VIP Windsor Suite yesterday after the Duchess arrived from Los Angeles.
Meanwhile in Nigeria, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle take part in games at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja as part of their three-day visit to the African nation
Harry and Meghan clap as they meet children at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today
Harry and Meghan smile as they meet children at the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today
Meghan takes a selfie with students as Harry watches at the Wuse Lightway Academy today
They both boarded the British Airways overnight flight to Abuja, which was slightly delayed after the scheduled pilot went sick and a replacement had to be scrambled.
The Sussexes, visiting Nigeria together for the first time, were seated in the first class section of the Boeing 777 and were kept apart from other passengers by a curtain.
It comes after Harry said it was ‘great’ to be back in the UK this week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. The Duke had been in London since Tuesday to attend events relating to the competition including a thanksgiving service.
