Where the royals go on holiday
From the Scilly Isles to Scotland, we take a look at the royals’ favourite getaways
William and Catherine headed to the Scilly Isles for the second year for their holiday, opting to stay on home shores like millions of Brits.
The beautiful Scilly Isles are off the coast of Cornwall and Prince Charles owns most of the land. The family was spotted on the island of Tresco last year, which holds happy memories, as Charles, Diana, William and Harry visited in 1989.
William and Kate aren’t Scilly: Perhaps the Cambridges stayed in Charles’ Tresco holiday home, Dolphin House, a lovely old granite rectory, with a fabulous walled garden and great views. Sleeping 10, it’s conveniently close to the New Inn pub and Ruin, with its popular pizzas. Best of all, when royal residents are not in, the public can rent it, here.
The Scilly Isles have a temperate climate and stunning empty beaches. Tresco is famous for Tresco Abbey Garden with 20,000 plants and the Viking Valhalla Museum.
The Queen is barmy for Balmoral: The Queen meanwhile, is back in Balmoral, where she spends every summer. She stays in Craigowan Lodge on the Estate, until the castle closes to the public for the summer, then moves to the main house, where she is joined by other members of the family. Balmoral, which was bought by Prince Albert in 1852, is open to the public when The Queen is not in residence and you can even rent a holiday cottage there, Balmoralcastle.com.
Charles and Camilla say Greece is the word: Pre-pandemic, Charles and Camilla enjoy visiting the Greek island of Corfu, staying in the Rothschild Villa - where Diana also visited. While the public can’t stay in the private home, Corfu is full of high-end villas and luxury hotels, like Ikos Dassia.
Harry and Meghan love Botswana: Botswana is a special place for Harry and Meghan, who holidayed there in 2016 and returned the following year. They have stayed in Meno a Kwena, a small luxury camp on a clifftop above the Boteti River and the isolated retreat Mapula Lodge on the edge of the Okavango Delta, naturalselection.travel.
Eugenie and Jack eye up Italy: Eugenie and Jack love Italy – although he might like it less after recent reports showed him living it up on a vintage speedboat with bikini-clad pals while Eugenie was home with the baby. The couple went on an “earlymoon” before they married in 2018, to the Amalfi Coast, an A-lister’s playground.
Zara and Mike think Oz is wizard: Before the pandemic, the Tindalls would head Down Under every year, as Zara is an ambassador for the Magic Millons racing carnival on Queensland’s Gold Coast and the family have spent many happy British winters there. In fact, they love the Aussie lifestyle so much they’ve previously said they’d consider moving there. For some surf action, visit queensland.com.
Margaret was mad for Mustique: Princess Margaret made Mustique famous after honeymooning there and building villa Les Jolies Eaux and ever since it’s become an A-lister’s island. William and Catherine also love Mustique, visiting their favourite Caribbean island with Carole and Michael Middleton. The exclusive island is made up of private villas with a couple of small hotels, including The Cotton House and the Cambridges previously rented Aurora House.
Meghan is the queen of home offices
When Meghan launched her women at work initiative to mark her 40th birthday this week, we were totally distracted by her immaculate home office. Kerry wrote about her desk envy for The Sunday Telegraph – full version here.
Everything in her workspace tied together tonally, including the dog. Meghan even co-ordinated her outfit to the cream and neutral décor, wearing a white vest, cream cashmere wrap, white cropped pants, Diana’s gold Cartier watch and camel Manolos.
But we couldn’t take our eyes off her desk - distressed wood, finely turned legs, oatmeal-coloured dining chair. And that’s before we even get to the artfully-arranged office accoutrements - her laptop perched atop a stack of books and a pile of her children’s book, The Bench, healing quartz crystal, decorative glass bottles, white flowers, cream Hermes blanket draped across a chair, white paper inbox and tea and biscuits on a gilt-handled tray.
This is next-level home-office styling. The only thing we can hope is that shoved in the corner of the room is a cascading ski-slope of kids’ crap that Mum booted out of shot before filming, but somehow, we doubt it. There are so many toddler traps in that office, from teetering vase of flowers, to breakable glass bottles and tea cup crying to be up-ended over the sisal carpet, it’s either styled just for filming, or it is a parent panic room set-up with a vault-door that even a two-year-old can’t crack.
We don’t care if it’s fake, we like fantasising about having a space like that. We’re sure that’s what Virginia Woolf was envisaging when she penned A Room of One’s Own, although to be honest, we would settle for a shed, just to get some peace.
Get your bunting out
Let the countdown begin! This week the official emblem of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was revealed, following a national competition run by the V&A museum and Buckingham Palace.
The winning design was by 19-year-old Edward Roberts, a graphic design student from Nottinghamshire. It will be used throughout the Jubilee celebrations, from bunting to cupcakes. The purple is a nod to the Robe of Estate, worn by The Queen at the Coronation, a continuous platinum line symbolises The Queen’s 70 years on the throne and the font reflects the Order of Service of the Coronation.
There will be extended celebrations in 2022 as the Queen becomes the first British monarch to celebrate 70 years on the throne, with main celebrations centred around a Platinum Jubilee Weekend from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June, details here.
See Kate’s poignant portraits
The Duchess of Cambridge is one of the world’s most-snapped people but there’s no denying her skills behind a camera lens. Her latest work forms part of an exhibition of over 50 portraits of Holocaust survivors and their families, taken by 13 photographers and now on display at London’s Imperial War Museum. Catherine photographed two survivors, Steven Frank and Yvonne Bernstein, who both settled in Britain after the Second World War.
‘Honoured to be part of the new photography exhibition,’ she announced on Instagram. ‘The photographs present a group of survivors who made the UK their home after beginnings marked by unimaginable loss and trauma. While offering a space to remember and share their stories, these portraits are a celebration of the full lives they have lived and the special legacy which their children and grandchildren will carry into the future.’
Generations: Portraits Of Holocaust Survivors is on until January 7, 2022. The exhibition is free with general admission tickets. Book here.
Princess Anne gets tongues wagging
Filming of The Crown series five was well underway up in Scotland this week, (see first pic of Imelda Staunton as our new Queen here), but it was the secret identity of the actress playing Princess Anne setting social media and journalists into a right royal tizz.
Finally outed as 45-year-old Claudia Harrison, she’s appeared in The IT Crowd (Maria’s fave), Midsomer Murders (Kerry’s fave) and Humans (any takers?). Taking over from the brilliant Erin Doherty, Claudia’s casting is yet to be officially confirmed but playing an older Princess Royal is perfect timing. The real Anne celebrates her 71st birthday on August 15. Ooh, and before we sign off for the week, many happy returns to another birthday princess – Beatrice is 33 today. Crown-topped cakes ahoy!