Prince Charles plants a huge Union Jack-shaped vegetable garden at his £45m Scottish estate - but is it proudly patriotic or a mischievous message to all those who'd break up his future kingdom?
- Aerial photographs of Dumfries House shows carefully cultivated vegetable beds portraying a Union Jack flag
- The images show for the first time the vast scale of Charles's now-completed project on the 2,000-acre estate
- The Prince helped to save Dumfries House for the nation 14 years ago by renovating the building and grounds Coming shortly before the Scottish independence referendum of 2014, it was the subtlest of hints as to how the Queen felt about the matter.
The voters, she said, should 'think very carefully about the future'.
Now her son appears to have made his own, equally subtle plea for unity. New aerial photographs of Dumfries House in Scotland show that Prince Charles has used an elaborate planting scheme to portray the Union Flag in the carefully cultivated vegetable beds.
It is hard to tell from ground level, of course, but from above, the distinctive pattern of the national flag is unmistakable.
The Prince helped to save Dumfries House for the nation 14 years ago, renovating the building and grounds and creating a new cultural project. Open to visitors, the centre offers a range of courses, many in traditional skills, with an emphasis on sustainability. It has even been credited with reviving the local economy.
New aerial photographs of Dumfries House in Scotland show that Prince Charles has used an elaborate planting scheme to portray the Union Flag in the carefully cultivated vegetable beds
The images, taken with permission for The Mail on Sunday, show for the first time the vast scale of Charles's now-completed project on the 2,000-acre estate.
While Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle might project the scale and grandeur of the Monarchy, the 18th Century Dumfries House estate, 40 miles south of Glasgow, provides a far better insight into the heir to the throne and his interests.
What was once a muddy bog has been transformed into an arboretum with native trees, and an old laundry has become a school for artists. There is an organic farm, which is home to rare-breed animals, and a schoolroom which teaches children about growing fruit and vegetables in the gardens.
The Prince himself designed the Belvedere (summer house) – complete with gargoyles – after sketching it out on a napkin.
Elsewhere in the grounds, a wellness centre, dubbed 'the Royal NHS', provides programmes and homeopathy for patients referred there by their GP.
Workshops and a hospitality centre run training courses for young people. Local designers enrolled in the fashion programme have even had their collections sold on the upmarket designer website, Net-a-Porter.
Funds from the foundation have partly been used to renovate a nearby outdoor swimming pool.
The Prince helped to save Dumfries House for the nation 14 years ago, renovating the building and grounds and creating a new cultural project. Charles and Camilla are spending an increasing amount of time in Scotland. He is often seen walking around the grounds, talking to the head gardener
The Royal Family doesn't do Disneyland, but if it did, it might look something like this.
Yet there is another big surprise in store – for some visitors, at least. On a visit to Dumfries House this summer, Charles bumped into a mother and her daughter, who was wearing a slogan T-shirt emblazoned with the initials 'VIP'.
'Hello! How nice to meet a VIP!' he quipped. The girl was stunned to find herself face-to-face with the Prince in his walking gear, while her mother burst into laughter.
Charles's staff have plenty of anecdotes like this. On another occasion he was offered an ice cream by a man visiting the playground with his children.
The response? A source reveals: 'He said, 'That's very kind, but why don't you buy one for the children instead?' '
The images, taken with permission for The Mail on Sunday, show for the first time the vast scale of Charles's now-completed project on the 2,000-acre estate
Designed by Scottish architects the Adam brothers, the house was built 250 years ago as a retirement home for William Crichton-Dalrymple, the 5th Earl of Dumfries. When his wife died without giving him an heir, he hoped to attract a new bride. But his second marriage failed and the house stood empty and eventually passed to a cousin
At Dumfries House, the heir to the throne is not known as the Prince of Wales or even by his Scottish title, the Duke of Rothesay.
'Here, we refer to him as The Boss,' said one member of staff, before adding: 'Not to be confused with Bruce Springsteen, of course.'
Not that the American singer would be at a loss as to where to perform – in 2018, Charles was granted permission to build a wedding venue on the site.
Designed by Scottish architects the Adam brothers, the house was built 250 years ago as a retirement home for William Crichton-Dalrymple, the 5th Earl of Dumfries. When his wife died without giving him an heir, he hoped to attract a new bride.
But his second marriage failed and the house stood empty and eventually passed to a cousin. Its last known occupant, the elderly dowager Marchioness of Bute, is said to have left cigarette burns in a silk-upholstered Chippendale chair from smoking while watching horse racing on television.
When it was put up for sale in 2007 by her relative Johnny Dumfries, a former Formula 1 racing driver, with the antique furniture destined for an auction house, the Prince of Wales led a consortium to save it. In a dramatic deal finalised at the 11th hour, lorries taking the Chippendale furniture to auction were stopped on the motorway and turned around. Charles had secured a £20million loan from Barclays to raise a total of £45 million to buy the estate and its contents.
Elsewhere in the grounds, a wellness centre, dubbed 'the Royal NHS', provides programmes and homeopathy for patients referred there by their GP
Dumfries House is also likely to play a role in hosting VIPs during the COP26 climate conference in November, when Charles will address world leaders during the two-week summit taking place in Glasgow
How much has been spent restoring the house and grounds? The foundation won't say, but a member of staff estimates 'at least another £45million' has been spent.
Simon Sadinsky, executive director of The Prince's Foundation, said: 'It's hard to believe it's been 14 years since Dumfries House was saved for the nation. It now acts as a catalyst for regeneration of the area. We welcome hundreds of pupils and students to the estate each month for a range of hands-on learning experiences, including heritage crafts, food, farming, hospitality and horticulture, which all champion sustainable practices, increase self-confidence and employability, and help preserve heritage skills which are at risk of being lost.'
The fertility programme at Dumfries House has proved a success, with two babies born as a result of the treatment on offer.
Couples unable to afford costly private treatment or who might be waiting for NHS appointments can put themselves forward for the six-week course, which includes one-to-one sessions with a gynaecologist, nutrition advice, and developing a 'fertility mindset'.
Dumfries House is also likely to play a role in hosting VIPs during the COP26 climate conference in November, when Charles will address world leaders during the two-week summit taking place in Glasgow.Indeed, Charles and Camilla are spending an increasing amount of time in Scotland. He is often seen walking around the grounds, talking to the head gardener.
A Palace source said: 'The Prince walks the walk and is prepared to get his hands dirty. I've seen him picking up rubbish as he goes around the grounds. It's about the education centre teaching children how not to waste food, the apprenticeships training people to work in hospitality. The point is, it's as much about the people as it is about the building.
'That's what matters to the Prince – how does Dumfries House change and help the local community?'
Nearly 15 years on, not only is the building repaired but the estate is open to visitors, while the Lodge, an upmarket hotel, is up and running on the site. All proceeds go back to the foundation.
The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall have been frequent visitors in recent years, personally looking in on the progress.
And while there are only two residents who get the Royal treatment at Dumfries House, they aren't the two you might think.
'Meet Hilda and Gilda,' says a gardener, pointing to two female rare-breed pigs at the farm.
'They have a home for life, here. We treat them like queens.'
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