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.
Perhaps knowing that he would one day inherit the Duchy, William has been keen to holiday in Cornwall in recent years. Along with the Princess of Wales and their children, he’s twice stayed on the Isles of Scilly, where the Duchy of Cornwall owns a large proportion of the houses. When the family visited Tresco island during the summer of 2021, they were said to have enjoyed it so much that they returned with their children in October that year. With its turquoise waters, tropical gardens and sparkling quartz beaches it’s easy to see the appeal of Tresco, owned by the Duchy of Cornwall but leased out to the Dorrien-Smith family. It’s as close to a holiday abroad as you can get on the British Isles.
But its beauty comes at a price. The helicopter from Land’s End costs just under £300 for a single return flight and the luxury beach houses and cottages that pepper the shoreline of Tresco start at £1,500 for the week.
There’s another, oft-overlooked part of Cornwall that has been a firm royal favourite over the years. And the good news is that it’s rather more accessible. The secluded Roseland Peninsula is frequently passed over in favour of the more popular northern spots of St Ives and Polzeath. Equally beautiful but lesser known, it was a popular destination for both the Queen and her sister Princess Margaret.
Rishi Sunak may have shelved plans for a new royal yacht, but in the heyday of Britannia, the sleepy fishing village of St Mawes was a frequent stop-off for the Queen and her sister. The coastal property of Penolva, which has a private slipway, provided the perfect place for the them to come ashore from the yacht away from prying eyes. Princess Diana also allegedly stayed there after her separation from Charles.
Billed as Britain’s answer to the French Riviera and nestled at the mouth of the river Fal, St Mawes is a good deal busier now than when the Queen used to visit. Average property prices in the village increased by an astonishing 48 per cent during lockdown as demand for seaside boltholes rocketed. In fact, it experienced the largest rise of any British seaside town and is now in the top ten most expensive coastal locations. It seems the royals were on to a good thing.
St Mawes is a honeypot for boaties and holidaymakers in the summer but you can easily find your own pocket of privacy elsewhere on the beautiful Roseland Peninsula. Its dramatic coastline of smugglers’ coves and whitewashed fishing villages encapsulates everything that’s so popular about Cornwall.
It’s worth escaping the hustle and bustle of St Mawes and heading for Carne Bay, tucked away on the other side of the headland. At the end of a winding rural road, just a few miles from Portloe, Carne beach is that rare thing in Cornwall – a broad stretch of golden sand that never seems to get busy. Sitting just above the beach is The Nare – a coastal hotel with a country house feel that is certainly fit for a royal. Indeed, the Countess of Wessex stopped off here in 2003 to help celebrate the Cornish tourism industry. While St Mawes is tucked away down a river estuary, The Nare provides panoramic sea vistas and direct beach access, with the waves breaking only metres away from the hotel’s suites. It’s a Cornish treasure well worth knowing about.
The Nare is family-run affair and, as such, feels far removed from the kind of corporate creep seen in many hotel chains elsewhere. Afternoon tea, with Cornish scones (jam, followed by cream, of course), is served to guests each day and the Queen would be pleased to hear that dogs are spoilt rotten. Much of the interior design was carried out by proprietor Toby Ashworth’s wife, and the result is rooms that feel less like a hotel and more like your dream country bolthole.
Prince William and Harry’s love of Polzeath helped put North Cornwall on the tourist map. But this more tranquil corner of the county boasts the same rugged beauty with none of the crowds. You can still experience all the charms that endeared it to the royals. My advice is to go and enjoy it before everyone else discovers it too.
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