Royals ‘genuinely interested about our small community’
THE royal visit to Sark proved a success, with islanders delighted with the chance to speak to Earl and Countess of Wessex.
Prince Edward read out a message from the Queen before planting a tree on Millennium Field with the countess.
‘We are delighted to be back here in Sark,’ he said.
The royals were in Sark as part of Liberation Day celebrations, and Bailiff Richard McMahon was glad they had visited different parts of the Bailiwick.
‘It is nice that such a significant occasion is reflected in our royal visitors coming to see us and being so interested and genuine about the lives of those in the community,’ he said.
‘The people here can have a special time when Liberation Day means so much to them.’
Organisation of the visit had gone smoothly, said Sark Seigneur Christopher Beaumont, who was thankful to all the volunteers who had made the day possible.
‘We have a mixture of a really easy-going couple with an extraordinarily compliant bunch of people on the island,’ he said.
‘Organising a royal visit was almost a piece of cake.’
Ten-year-old Robin Scott, a Sark School pupil, was lucky enough to present flowers to the royals.
‘It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,’ she said.
‘They were really nice.’
Sark School student Sophie Texetor, 9, was happy to have spoken to the countess before the tree was planted in commemoration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
‘I feel very excited because I never thought I would actually see the royal family,’ she said.
Post Office worker Belinda Dunks was excited that her husband was presented with a medal.
‘I’m very happy and I think it’s great,’ she said.
‘It is lovely that there is a nice crowd because it gives such a good atmosphere.’
Sark resident Marineh Paton agreed.
‘Prince Edward and Sophie were chatty and very nice. They had something to say to everyone and it was wonderful.’
