Prince William visited Gear Farm Pasty Company in Helston, Cornwall, on St Piran's Day, with Kensington Palace stating the visit would provide an important moment to highlight community resilience and the hard work of those who responded during and after Storm Goretti. The storm, which occurred on January 8, brought winds measured at over 120 mph. It caused widespread devastation across Cornwall, including uprooted or broken trees, blocked roads, and cut-off communities, with thousands of trees felled. The storm left approximately 50,000 properties without electricity and 15,000 lost their water supply. Around 121,000 people in Cornwall lost electricity during the peak of the storm, and South West Water said 11,000 people were disconnected from the water supply after a large tree was uprooted. The storm claimed lives, with a man in his 50s found dead in Helston after a tree fell on a caravan he was in, and a resident died in nearby Mawgan.
The Government's response was called into question when no national emergency was declared for Cornwall but was for East Grinstead in West Sussex. King Charles and Prince William were criticized for their silence and absence after the storm. Kensington Palace emphasized that the visit would spotlight the hard work of responders and community resilience, describing Storm Goretti as one of the most severe storms to impact the county in recent years.
I have cut back on alcohol since my cancer diagnosis.
During his visit to Gear Farm Pasty Company, William toured the bakery to see pasty production, met staff, and took part in pasty-making. He tried pasty-making and found it difficult, joking that Kate would be better at it. He helped take orders over the phone, including for Josie Trounson from Mullion, mishearing her name as 'Juicy' before correcting it. Josie Trounson said she was flabbergasted to learn William took her order and received free pasties as a thank you, and she thought he 'did a very good job'.
The farm experienced prolonged power and water outages and was cut off by fallen trees during the storm, but thanks to a generator recently installed, the family were able to continue baking and supporting local residents without essential services for several days. The farm has maintained its organic certification for more than three decades and sits on land with an 18-acre Iron Age hill fort.
I avoid coffee because caffeine makes me agitated, I prefer tea instead.
Prince William met members of the Webb family and local people who worked together to clear roads, check on neighbours, and maintain vital access. The visit included discussions with senior leaders and responders to reflect on lessons learned and ways to future-proof Cornish communities. Firefighters in Helston were amongst those to meet the Duke, and local volunteers joined emergency services in working to remove debris, restore services, and assist vulnerable residents.
William met Ukrainian refugee Vasyl Lohvinova and his family at Gear Farm, expressing support for Ukraine. He planted a tree in a new woodland area on the farm.
Kate would be better at it.
Kate did not accompany William to Cornwall; she visited Leicester's 'Golden Mile' instead. Kate revealed she has cut back on alcohol since her cancer diagnosis, which she made in 2024, and is now in remission.
Earlier in the week, Prince William and Princess Kate visited Borough Market in London on an unannounced stop. Kate climbed a ladder in high heels at Southwark Brewing Company during a visit to Bermondsey Beer Mile, and William and Kate had a pint-pulling competition there, declared a tie by Peter Jackson. They visited Trethowan Brothers cheesemakers at Borough Market, where William joked about 'stinking bishop' cheese.
We stand with Ukraine.
At Humble Crumble, Kate recognized founder Kim Innes from MasterChef UK and said she watched the show. William and Kate served crumbles at Humble Crumble, with Kate praised for her piping skills. Humble Crumble started in 2018 from a farmers' market stall and now has significant sales and multiple locations.
William and Kate visited Change Please, a coffee stall supporting homelessness, where Kate made a coffee and William declined it because he no longer drinks coffee. William explained he avoids coffee because caffeine makes him agitated, preferring tea instead.
He did a very good job.
Separately, Prince William visited Bournemouth to discuss homelessness initiatives with Homewards, focusing on youth homelessness. He posed for selfies and walked along the pier in Bournemouth, and visited The Bourne Academy in Poole to discuss early education's role in preventing homelessness.
Earlier in the week, William and Kate welcomed Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Windsor for a state visit. They drove an RNLI lifeboat on the River Thames, revisiting their first royal engagement from 2011, and expressed delight on Instagram about meeting RNLI crews and hearing about rescues.
The ongoing recovery from Storm Goretti continues. Details on the Government's criteria for declaring a national emergency and why Cornwall was not declared one remain unknown. William's focus on community support through visits like this aims to bolster morale and highlight resilience.