Prince William appeared in one of his duchies to focus on two of his father’s favourites: environment and farming. 

On Monday, 10 July, the Prince of Wales arrived at the Duchy of Cornwall’s nursery near Lostwithiel to inaugurate the new restaurant within The Orangery. 

Talking with staff members, His Royal Highness was heard saying: “It’s turned out amazingly!”

The Orangery was built within the nine months of renovation undergone by the nursery itself, with the former Duke of Cornwall, now King Charles III, being heavily involved in the design of the facility. 

According to Claire Vickers, the nursery’s marketing manager, “The 24th duke, who’s now His Majesty, was very much involved in the designs of the building, and it’s very meaningful to have his son, the 25th duke, to visit us on this momentous occasion.”

The Orangery, a restaurant within the nursery, will use as much produce from the facility itself as possible and is committed to only putting out food grown in the local area – a sustainability model that has undoubtedly gained them the support of King Charles and Prince William.

The biggest surprise came when it was time for the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony; instead of doing it himself, Prince William decided to call up two children to do it, in a sign of the nursery’s involvement with the local community and tourists. 

The two selected children were nine-year-old twins James and Violet Scott, who were on their annual holiday from Edinburgh with their parents. James later told journalists: “It was so crazy. I can’t wait to tell my friends at home that we met Prince William.”

Their parents were also surprised, saying that, although they didn’t expect to be able to get so close to the action, Prince William showed an openness to the public that was “lovely.” 

The Duchy of Cornwall’s Nursery was created as a slate quarry and moved on to produce forest trees in the late 1960s before being converted into a nursery in 1974, with the beginning of plant sales to the public. 

It can now count on various plants, some of which are grown in the Glasshouse. The nursery is also home to a Bumblebee Garden, an area of grass with many different types of wildflowers that the facility plant to help reverse the decline in bumblebee populations.