Visit to Devon and Cornwall

Day one

Their Royal Highnesses began their annual visit to the South West today and started the day by meeting community groups and members of the public at Exeter Cathedral.

The community groups included Devon Wildlife Trust, Exeter City Community Trust, and the Met Office, which works with the Cathedral and Exeter University on Climate Change research. His Royal Highness also met young people from Devon Nursing Cadets and formally launched the Royal College of Nursing Prince of Wales Nursing Cadet Scheme in England.

Inside the Cathedral, The Prince and The Duchess viewed some of the historic treasures, including the Exeter Book, a key element of the city’s UNESCO City of Literature application.

Next, The Prince of Wales met transport workers and ‘Net Zero Heroes’ involved in Exeter City Council’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. 

In 2019, Exeter City Council declared a climate and ecological emergency, with the aim of being a carbon neutral city by 2030. In response to this bold ambition, Exeter City Futures created a clear roadmap to carbon neutrality: the Net Zero Exeter 2030 Plan, which has now been officially adopted by the city. This blueprint is again being modelled nationwide.

Meanwhile, The Duchess of Cornwall visited the new Weaver Green showroom at Heron Valley Orchards to learn about this sustainable home textiles company. Her Royal Highness toured the showroom and learnt how the company creates homewares from recycled plastics.

In the evening, Their Royal Highnesses attended a reception at the Duchy of Cornwall Nursery to mark the launch of The Prince’s Countryside Fund ‘Confident Rural Communities’ network. The new network will bring together over 300 rural community organisations who have benefited from the charity’s programme since its inception in 2010.

Day two

On Tuesday The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, as The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall are known when in the South West, visited communities on the Isles of Scilly.

A group of over 200 islands and rocks located 28 miles from Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly have been part of the Duchy of Cornwall since its beginning in the 14th century.

On St Mary's, Their Royal Highnesses arrived at Five Islands Academy School in a Go-EV Car Share vehicle, one of a fleet recently installed on the island to encourage sustainable travel. 

At the school, His Royal Highness joined secondary school pupils for an Eco Conference involving local stakeholders while Her Royal Highness met primary school pupils from the school’s eco committee. 

Next, Their Royal Highnesses travelled to Porthcressa Quay where they met members of Healthwatch, local police and staff from the island’s only care home, Park House, who have supported the community during the pandemic.

The Duke also met with a group of business owners affected by the COVID-19 crisis. 

On Bryher, another of the Scilly Isles, Their Royal Highnesses celebrated successful local business. Together they met the Pender family, who have been fishing out of Bryher for hundreds of years and own the company Island Fish, which supplies quality lobster, crab, wet fish and shellfish products across the islands.

In 2018 Island Fish were supported by the Duchy of Cornwall to build their new specially designed premises on Bryher Island. 

Her Royal Highness visited Veronica Farm to see how the Taylor family produce their famous homemade fudge. The family started making fudge twenty-four years ago on their farmhouse kitchen Aga using traditional farmhouse methods. Their buttery vanilla fudge is freshly handmade in the Veronica Farm fudge kitchen with top quality, local ingredients including Scillonian milk, butter and clotted cream.

Day three

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall spent a final day in the South West today, first visiting The Burton at Bideford to celebrate the art gallery’s 70th anniversary.

The Burton at Bideford is home to the town’s museum and tourist information centre as well as a thriving craft gallery, where local artists and craftspeople can sell their work.

Their Royal Highnesses viewed an exhibition of archive photographs by local photographer James Ravilious from the Beaford Archives before attending a gathering of the town’s community groups and young people in the nearby Victoria Park.

Next, The Prince of Wales attended a seminar event hosted by the North Devon Biosphere exploring the opportunities presented by Natural Capital management. The meeting was chaired by David Fursdon, Lord Lieutenant of Devon and attended by representatives from the Duchy of Cornwall and University of Exeter.

His Royal Highness also met with the Bellew Family who run Tennacott Farm, where the meeting took place, and learnt about their ice cream business.

The Duchess of Cornwall meanwhile visited Children’s Hospice South West at Little Bridge House to mark the Hospice’s 30th anniversary. Her Royal Highness of Patron of the hospice, which supports children with life-limiting conditions and their families.

Finally, Their Royal Highnesses visited Iddesleigh to join author Sir Michael Morpurgo at a lunch club for local residents, the first since the pandemic began.

During the visit, Her Royal Highness heard how Sir Michael met the man who inspired his novel ‘War Horse’ at the pub and discuss why she chose the book for Season 3 of The Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room.