Prince William shared a light-hearted moment with the Isles of Scilly's oldest resident, Hilda Richards, aged 102, during his visit to the island's newly built hospital. Mrs Richards had spent a night at the Isles of Scilly Hospital after a fall at home on Thursday.
A Royal Encounter
As the prince was being shown around the facility, he stopped to speak with Mrs Richards. "How you feeling this morning?" he asked. "Fine thank you," she replied. When nurses informed William that she was the oldest resident on the Isles of Scilly, he quipped, "I never ask a lady how old she is…" To which Mrs Richards promptly responded, "I'm 102."
William expressed amazement: "You're not? Hilda, my goodness, that's amazing. You don't look anywhere near 102." The centenarian shared that she was born on St Martin's but has lived on St Mary's for over a century. "My dad worked on the land and when I was 18 months old we came down here," she said. The prince wished her a speedy recovery and asked if she felt well looked after. She replied affirmatively, mentioning her arthritis and the need for a Zimmer frame. Mrs Richards, who had suffered bruising, was later discharged home.
Tour of the Hospital
During the visit, William also met construction workers who explained the challenges of building the new facility on an island. The redevelopment, supported by the Prince's Duchy of Cornwall estate, integrates NHS services and social care. The prince spent time chatting with elderly residents of the adjacent care home.
He arrived on St Mary's aboard the island's new pilot boat, John Guy, named after a long-serving Scillonian-born Duchy colleague.
Storm Recovery and Sustainability
The Isles of Scilly are still recovering from Storm Goretti, which brought near 100mph winds in January and felled around 500 trees, many of which were shelterbelt trees crucial for protecting communities. William met local emergency responders and planted a replacement Monterey pine, symbolising the islands' recovery and resilience. Looking at the devastated shelterbelt, he remarked: "Like something out of a horror film, this."
The prince also visited a construction site where 10 new sustainable homes are being built by the Duchy. The development aims to address the acute housing shortage, prioritising those who have lived on the Isles for over five years or currently work there. The timber-framed properties will feature solar panels and electric vehicle charging points.
Duchy's Evolving Role
Following the visit, William posted on social media about the Duchy of Cornwall's journey. "We are evolving what it means to be a landowner, moving from passive stewardship towards a more active contribution, with social and environmental purpose at its heart," he said. "This represents a clear shift in our strategy. There is much more to do, and we are investing as quickly as we can while balancing a number of priorities, but our direction is clear."
He added: "Our ambition is to create opportunities for communities to truly live well, now and for generations to come. We're on a journey, we're not suggesting we have everything right today, but our direction is clear: to place social and environmental purpose at the heart of how we evolve and what we do."
