Joanna Rossiter

How the royals do Cornwall

  • From Spectator Life
The coastal village of Portloe on the Roseland Peninsula [Alamy]

There was arguably no better advocate for holidaying in Britain than Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty loved to spend her summers in Scotland, having stayed at Balmoral each August since she was a girl. But could the next generation of royals favour the warmer climes of Cornwall over chilly Scotland? It certainly seems so.

After Charles became King, William inherited the Duchy of Cornwall estate from his father. Not only is he now responsible for the Duchy’s extensive portfolio of Cornish property and farmland but he also inherits the 500-year-old Restormel Manor in the heart of Cornwall. Situated only a few miles from the house that inspired Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca, it frequently hosted King Charles and the Queen Consort during their annual tour of the region. The manor is rented out to holidaymakers for much of the year, which is no surprise given its location. It’s only a short meander down the river to the colourful yachting town of Fowey whose cobbled streets and pastel townhouses make it a favourite with tourists.

Fowey, Cornwall [iStock]

Perhaps knowing that he would one day inherit the Duchy, William has been keen to holiday in Cornwall in recent years.

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