Prince William and Princess Kate are champions of the staycation, regularly decamping to far-flung regions of the UK, from summers in Norfolk, to walking trips in the Scottish island of Mull to island holidays to Cornwall.
The south-western location is particularly special to the Prince and Princess, with the Isles of Scilly a favourite destination of the royal couple – the Prince of Wales even owns a holiday home on the island as part of his role as the Duchy of Cornwall.
With this in mind, the royals are likely troubled today with the news that a rare red warning for "dangerous, stormy" winds has been issued by the Met Office for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly on Thursday evening. A Met Office 'Red Warning' is the highest level of alert, indicating a significant 'danger to life' from flying debris—a stark contrast to the tranquil cycling holidays the Wales family enjoys there.
The Wales kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, might also be worried, as Prince William has previously hinted that his three offspring are fans of the Scilly Isles too, after he and Princess Kate took the children there in 2020 for their Covid summer holidays.
Proving that the young royals were smitten with the islands, when Prince William was there in May 2024, he told locals: "My family are very upset I'm here without them."Proving that the young royals were smitten with the islands, when Princes Willaim was there in May 2024, he told locals: "My family are very upset I'm here without them."
© Getty ImagesSpecial significance
It's no surprise that Prince William chose the remote island to holiday with his young family, as the Isles are special to the future king. He holidayed there in 1989 with King Charles, the late Princess Diana, and his now estranged brother, Prince Harry. Photos from the holiday show the family riding bicycles and exploring the rocky coastline.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesPrince William visited once again in 2016, with Princess Kate in tow. During their trip, they toured the Tresco Abbey Garden and rode boats along the coast. At the time, the royals met a member of the public who recalled the prince's visit in his childhood. The local said at the time: "I said to William, 'you haven't been here for a good while' and he said 'no'. "I said the 'last time you were here with your brother you were only so high'."
© GettyInclement weather on the Isles
As someone familiar with the Isles, Prince William will be well aware that the weather can be tricky. Indeed, their 2016 trip was delayed due to foggy weather, meaning the Prince and Princess stayed longer than planned on mainland Cornwall.
This latest bout of weather, dubbed Storm Goretti, is set to bring gusts of up to 100mph, according to the Met Office, which warned of disruption to transport services, power cuts and the likelihood of very large waves.
As a result of the storm, around 50 schools in Cornwall have shut early, and Network Rail has announced that all trains in Cornwall will be suspended from 18:00.
