Prince William charms 94-year-old Dot with a witty comeback during his Isles of Scilly visit

Prince William proved he knows exactly how to handle a cheeky proposition when a 94-year-old care resident put him firmly on the spot during his working visit to the Duchy of Cornwall.

William and Dot steal the show

On Friday, the Prince of Wales, 43, shared a candid moment of laughter with a resident named Dot during his visit to the Isles of Scilly Hospital in St Mary's.

A member of staff was introducing William to a group of elderly residents — all of whom are due to move into the new "Island View" rooms at the care centre — when the exchange unfolded, as reported by Hello! magazine. A video of the moment was shared on X by royal editor Rebecca English of the Daily Mail.

William opened the conversation warmly: "I saw your room, Dot." "Are you going to stay?" Dot replied.

"To stay in your room? There's only one bed, Dot," William clarified, laughing.

"I don't care," she shot back, drawing laughter from the group. William, slapping his knee in amusement, replied: "It might be a bit cozy, Dot."

When Dot persisted, he played along: "Well, in that case, Dot, I'm sure we will come to some arrangement." When Dot then asked whether he would bring Kate Middleton on his next visit, William quipped that he would need her there to "protect" him.

A two-day trip to the Duchy

The hospital visit formed part of a two-day programme of engagements across Duchy of Cornwall land holdings. William's trip began in Nansledan, Cornwall on 21 May, where he highlighted efforts to tackle homelessness and deliver affordable, sustainable housing.

He arrived on St Mary's on Friday via the John Guy — a new pilot boat funded by the Duchy of Cornwall and named in honour of a long-serving Duchy colleague born in the Isles of Scilly. The vessel will patrol island waters and assist with the passage of larger ships.

At the hospital, William officially opened a new facility designed to strengthen healthcare provision on the remote island, particularly for older residents.

The community-backed development — supported by the Duchy — brings NHS services and social care together into a more integrated model.

He also met patients and staff, including 102-year-old resident Hilda Richards, and met local emergency responders before replanting a shelterbelt tree — a gesture marking the island's recovery, resilience, and renewal following Winter Storm Goretti in January, which caused significant damage to the island's protective treeline.

Sustainable homes and Duchy ambitions

William also visited the near-complete construction site of ten new sustainable homes being delivered by the Duchy of Cornwall to address a severe housing shortage on the island.

Priority for the homes will be given to people who have lived on the Isles of Scilly for more than five years or who work there. Due for completion later this year, the homes will feature rooftop solar panels and electric vehicle charging points for the island's car-share scheme.

The visit reflects William's broader ambitions for the Duchy, which he inherited as Duke of Cornwall when his father King Charles acceded to the throne in 2022.

The estate spans approximately 130,000 acres across England and Wales — encompassing farmland, property, and commercial businesses — and is valued at around $1.3 billion.

It generated approximately $30.9 million for the 2024–2025 financial year. According to a report in The Times on 17 May, William is considering selling roughly a fifth of the estate over the next decade to fund an ambitious expansion of housing, environmental, and renewable energy initiatives.

In a statement reflecting on the visit, William said: "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."