Prince William meets Isles of Scilly's oldest resident, 102, during hospital tour
The Duke of Cornwall also opened a new hospital facility in St Mary's designed to bring health services closer to island residents
Last updated 15 hours ago
The Prince of Wales joked with the Isles of Scilly’s oldest resident – centurion Hilda Richards – during a visit to the island’s hospital.
Mrs Richards, 102, spent a night at the Isles of Scilly Hospital following a fall at home on Thursday and met Prince William as he was shown around the newly built facility.
The prince asked her: “How you feeling this morning?”
“Fine thank you,” she replied.
Nurses told William that Mrs Richards was the oldest resident on the Isles of Scilly, and he replied: “I never ask a lady how old she is…”
“I’m 102,” a sprightly Mrs Richards replied.
William said: “You’re not? Hilda, my goodness, that’s amazing. You don’t look anywhere near 102.”
The centenarian told the prince she was born on St Martin’s, but has lived on St Mary’s for more than 100 years.
“My dad worked on the land and when I was 18 months old we came down here,” she said.
William asked: “I hope you have a fast recovery. Do you feel looked after down here?”
She replied: “Yes, but I got arthritis in my knee, and I have got to have a Zimmer frame.”
Mrs Richards, who had suffered bruising in the fall, was later discharged home.
During the visit to the hospital, William also met with construction workers who explained the challenges of building the new facility on an island.
The redevelopment, which has been supported by the Prince’s Duchy of Cornwall estate, combines together NHS services and social care provision, and the prince spent time chatting with elderly residents of the adjacent care home.
He had arrived on St Mary’s aboard the island’s new pilot boat John Guy, named in memory of a long-serving Scillonian-born Duchy colleague.
The Isles of Scilly is still recovering from Storm Goretti, which had brought near 100mph winds in January and saw around 500 trees brought down.
Many of the fallen trees were shelterbelt trees, which play a vital role in protecting communities from high winds and storms.
During the visit, William met local emergency responders and planted a replacement Monterrey pine, reflecting the islands’ recovery, resilience and long-term renewal.
Looking at the devastated shelterbelt, he told them: “Like something out of a horror film, this.”
The prince visited the building site where 10 new sustainable homes are being built by the Duchy.
The development has been designed to help tackle the Isles’ acute housing shortage, with homes prioritised for those who have lived on the Isles of Scilly for more than five years, or who currently work on the islands.
The properties are timber framed and when completed will have solar panels and electric vehicle charging points.
Following the visit, William posted on social media about the journey the Duchy of Cornwall is on.
“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.”