The King and Queen visit Cornwall

On a visit to The Eden Project marking its 25th anniversary, The King and Queen heard about the Project’s work in community cohesion, education, and nature recovery.

Arriving to a performance by pupils from local Luxulyan School, The King and Queen viewed a section of the new marble run, created for visitors from over 100 metres of handcrafted wooden track. Their Majesties were given ‘marbles’ specially made from storm-felled wood from across Cornwall to roll down the run. 

Their Majesties also met staff and gardeners and heard about wildflower habitat restoration and human connection with nature.

Afterwards, The King and Queen joined a celebratory Big Lunch to meet local volunteers and supporters involved in planning the upcoming Big Lunch and Big Help Out weekend on 5th – 8th June. 

Running annually since 2009, The Big Lunch is the UK’s annual get together for neighbours and communities when millions of people come together to share friendship, food and fun on the first weekend in June. In 2025, over 10 million people took part.

The Big Help Out, started in 2023, encourages people to have a go at volunteering, lending a hand and making a difference. Millions of people have taken part since its inception, as charities offered simple opportunities for people to find out more and see what volunteering was all about.

In St Austell's Holy Trinity Church and Market Hall, The King and Queen met local Cornish community groups and businesses. 

The Queen spent time with school children, library staff and volunteers from St Austell Library, as well as representatives from charities, including Silver Stories and The Charles Causley Trust. 

Co-Founders of Cornwall-based charity Silver Stories, Elisabeth and David Carney-Haworth OBEs, explained to The Queen the work the charity is undertaking to connect school age children (silver readers) with older people (silver listeners) through weekly telephone reading sessions. The initiative aims to improve children’s reading confidence, reduce loneliness among isolated older adults and build meaningful intergenerational relationships.

The Charles Causley Trust exists to preserve the legacy of the Cornish poet Charles Causley (1917– 2003), and to promote writing and the arts, particularly in Cornwall and the wider South-West. 

Meanwhile, The King met local Cornish community groups and representatives from Young People Cornwall to hear about work being undertaken to support young people in the local area. 

His Majesty also heard about regeneration plans for the Grade II-listed Market Hall and local area. Members of the Market House Regeneration Committee explained their plans to restore the building as a commercial and cultural hub with aims to stimulate wider investment in the town centre.