Growing up as part of the Royal Family may mean a level of privilege most of us could only imagine, but it does also mean an intense amount of scrutiny and attention from a young age. This is something Princess Diana knew only too well, and she is known for trying to create as normal an upbringing as possible for her sons Prince William and Prince Harry, giving them some family time away from the spotlight where possible.
Now, Prince William has revealed that there is a place in the UK which holds happy family memories for him, and he visited again on Friday (22 May) to raise awareness for the local hospital. To promote his visit, Prince William co-hosted a special edition of Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden from the The Isles of Scilly in Cornwall, which hold a special place in his heart.
Tim Graham
Princess Diana with Prince Harry at Highgrove.
Mirrorpix
The King and late Princess Diana with a baby Prince William in 1983.
Anwar Hussein
Princess Diana visiting the Isles of Scilly in 1982, while pregnant with Prince William.
‘I used to come here a lot when I was younger. My parents brought me down here and as you can see, it is a place like no other,’ Prince William told Jamie and Amanda. ‘It’s a different world down here, it’s beautiful.’ Co-presenter Jamie then asked whether it had been a ‘place to escape to’ and to not be looked on too much by the public. Prince William replied, ‘Absolutely, yeah. Island life down here is wonderfully family-orientated and [a] community, so people just get on and do their thing and enjoy themselves, and no one wants to be a pain.’
Extolling the family values of the Isles of Scilly further, Prince William said, ‘the children can go where they want here, it’s safe, they can explore. The beaches are amazing the water’s crystal clear, there’s so much to do down here as a family.’
Prince William also said that he’d visited many times since he was a child, often flying himself over in a helicopter. Having been in the RAF, Prince William is a licensed pilot, although for his most recent visit he admitted he wasn’t the one in the driving seat.
The royal’s visit was to discuss the importance of the Isles of Scilly Hospital, where he opened a new facility. In a post on Instagram he said he was ‘proud of the work we’ve been doing with our partners to open a new hospital facility designed to strengthen healthcare provision on the Isles of Scilly.’ He added that ‘The community‑led extension brings services together, improving access, continuity of care and resilience in a remote island setting,’ which should help reduce reliance on mainland healthcare.
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