Catherine, Princess of Wales + Prince William
Your secret holiday paradise
On holiday in Tresco, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William can swap their smart outfits for summery looks in linen shirts and shorts.
© Julian Finney / Getty Images
Caribbean? nope Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William have something much better. Your dream island is not far from London – and brings back wonderful memories.
It’s one of the best kept secrets. When, but more importantly, where Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, both 41, vacation with their children, the palace is silent about it so that the young family can spend the most beautiful weeks of the year undisturbed. And so only a select few know the magical place the Walesers head to recently, as William rushes to the helipad next to Kensington Palace with Catherine, George, 9, Charlotte, 8, and Louis, 5, and Cocker Orla.
Prince + Princess of Wales: They have found their paradise on the island of Tresco
In the wind of the rotors, Catherine holds on to her sun hat while Orla scurries around the legs of the tour group. Everyone is looking forward to the paradise that awaits them: Tresco – a Caribbean-looking island just over an hour and a half by helicopter from London. A real place of longing in the life of Prince William. But more on that later.
Catherine and William are in the best summer mood on the island – like here, 2016. Princess Charlotte is just learning to sail and can perhaps practice on vacation.
© Alex Huckle/GC Images / Getty Images
On the mini-island, which is almost three square kilometers smaller than the English Garden in Munich, he can shed his royal self – and is happy that the 180 residents simply address him as “William” or “Will”. As in the past, the Waleses live in Dolphin House. The villa offers six bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large terrace – and a lot of peace and quiet. As GALA learns from a palace source, Catherine often cooks here herself because she loves to cook.
Being together as a family is a real luxury for them
What only a few know: William surprised Catherine with a visit to the island a few months before their wedding in 2011, the insider tells GALA. Catherine has been a Tresco fan ever since. Everyone likes it so much on the island that they have also spent their holidays here for the past two years.
While many people yearn for exciting experiences when on holiday, the Walesese want exactly the opposite: steady, peaceful hours spent cycling, sailing and swimming (in the not-very-warm sea) on the car-free island. And what the three animal-loving children particularly like: watching birds. Hobby gardener Catherine is also happy about the flowers on Tresco. Unfortunately, the plant offshoots they brought with them did not thrive on their Anmer Hall country estate. The warm Gulf Stream that gives Tresco the Caribbean flair is missing there.
For William, the island represents important memories
William has loved the island since he first arrived here when he was just under seven. At that time, his world still seemed fine: brother Harry was his closest ally, and his parents Charles and Diana got along reasonably well. It’s no coincidence that William enjoys cycling so much today – it was one of the few pastimes that the extremely different characters Charles and Diana could agree on.
William vacationed at Dolphin House in 1989 with his parents and brother Harry. Princess Diana loved the island of Tresco as much as Catherine does today.
© Dana Press