18th July 2012

Prince Charles and Camilla visit Jersey

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall visited the Channel Islands as part of their tour to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee. On 18 July, they arrived in Jersey, attended an open air sitting of the States in Royal Square and visited the Central Market. They unveiled two artworks: a granite feature in Royal Square commemorating the Queen’s jubilee and a second piece in the Royal Court commissioned to commemorate the two Jersey boats that had taken part in a jubilee flotilla on the Thames.

Future king goes climbing

However, the story that was picked up most enthusiastically by the mainland papers was Charles taking to a climbing wall at the refurbished gym at Grainville School. Despite wearing a double-breasted suit and smart shoes, the heir to the throne made his way across the wall without touching the ground, impressing onlookers in the process.

Despite them spending just one day and one night in the island, the royal visit cost Jersey’s Treasury department £60,000, according to figures released later in the year and reported by the BBC.

Royal celebrations

The royal visit wasn’t the only event on Jersey to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee. A beacon was lit at Elizabeth Castle, becoming the most southerly of all the beacons lit in the British Isles, and Jersey issued a £100 banknote bearing a striking holographic portrait of the monarch. Jersey Royal potatoes were also served as part of the jubilee lunch served to the Queen and 700 guests at Westminster hall in London.