William and Kate’s wedding anniversary trip begins with community halls funding

The Prince and Princess of Wales’s foundation is to provide funds to refurbish two community halls on a Scottish island where they will spend their 14th wedding anniversary.

William and Kate will tour the Isle of Mull over two days and visit the halls where the money will be used.

The couple were married at Westminster Abbey on April 29 2011 and their anniversary night will be spent at a self-catering cottage on Mull after a day of official engagements.

It remains to be seen who will be doing the cooking at their undisclosed romantic bolt-hole.

Interior designer Banjo Beale, presenter of the BBC’s Designing The Hebrides programme and a Mull resident, will work with fellow islanders to ensure the community-owned centres in Mull’s main town of Tobermory and the village of Pennyghael reflect the area’s culture.

He said: “It’s an absolute joy to be working with the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales to redesign and preserve these vital community spaces.

“Together, we’re not just restoring old walls – we’re reimagining what’s possible when community and creativity come together. I’m excited to breathe new life into beloved buildings and celebrate the island’s warmth, resilience and quiet magic.”

The Royal Foundation’s Community Impact Programme is providing undisclosed grants for the renovation of facilities at Aros Hall in Tobermory, where the popular BBC children’s TV series Balamory was filmed, while at Pennyghael Community Hall, communal spaces will be updated and roof repairs undertaken.

William and Kate will begin their Mull visit by touring Aros Hall, home to a community fridge saving food from landfill, a charity shop and a children’s indoor play area used by family support charity Home-Start Lorn, whose volunteers will meet the royal couple.

Later they will visit the nearby harbour to chat to makers and creators at Tobermory Producers Market, co-ordinated by Aros hall, and they will end their day by travelling to a combined croft and restaurant on the west coast of Mull, touring some of its 50 acres of land, seeing the Hebridean sheep farmed on site, and helping select garden produce for the menu.

The couple are officially known by their Scottish titles the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland and have a connection with Mull, as the island is part of lands once ruled by the Lord of the Isles, one of a number of Scottish titles William inherited from his father when Charles became King and William the heir to the throne.

William and Kate met at the University of St Andrews in Fife and became friends before embarking on a romance.

Two years after their wedding the couple had their first child, Prince George, then Princess Charlotte in 2015 and Prince Louis in 2018, and it appears their relationship remains strong after Kate’s cancer treatment.

The visit aims to highlight the importance of communities and protecting and championing the natural environment, and the couple will spend time privately at Pennyghael Community Hall and on the island of Iona after taking the public ferry from Mull and meeting those who use and run the service.

Published: 29/04/2025 by Radio NewsHub