Pippa, my perfect doubles partner!
THE Middletons are regular visitors to Mustique and the first time I met them was on a tennis court. They’re a very athletic family and often asked me to join them for a game of doubles.
And, believe me, they all play to win. Pippa (right) is a particularly strong player, so when I partner her at doubles we normally do pretty well. I would say she is more consistent than Kate. Prince William is quite steady, too. He and Kate used to play a lot more before they had children, sometimes showing up for the round-robin games which start at 5pm, when you just play with whoever is there.
It may sound slightly surreal that you can turn up and find yourself playing with or against the future King and Queen, but that’s Mustique for you.
I’m proud to call the Middletons my friends. They tend to spend most of their time on the island in whatever villa they are renting, but they come to the bar and seem to enjoy the ‘Wednesday Jump-up’, when a band flies over from St Vincent.
I recently gave up control of Basil’s Bar, but have remained in an ambassadorial role.
There aren’t many places where William and Kate can just get up and dance without being photographed. Perhaps William likes Mustique for the same reasons his great-aunt Princess Margaret did, a chance to be himself away from people watching his every move. His brother Harry only comes to Mustique when William is here.
Their security people warn us when they are coming, and we set aside a table for them opposite the stage and dancefloor.
They know lots of people, but no one bothers them. Like Mick Jagger, they are supportive of the Mustique Blues Festival, which supports the charity I’ve set up to help kids in St Vincent.
I was pleased and a little surprised to be invited to William and Kate’s wedding at Westminster Abbey in 2011. It was a wonderful occasion, quite humbling.
The Middleton family set up camp at the Goring Hotel in Victoria in the run-up to the wedding and afterwards, Jeremy Goring, the hotel’s owner, asked me what I thought about the idea of setting up a ‘pop-up’ Basil’s Bar a little while later. I was delighted, and made sure that I flew in for it. It was one Basil’s Bar celebration I was glad I did not have to organise — especially the bringing in of ten tons of white sand.
I have no doubt William will make a fine king, but it depends on what Prince Charles wants to do.
How long does he want to be King; when will he let his son take over? I think after ten or 15 years he should pass it on to William — it would be good to have a young King. William has been raised for the job and it would be sad if he has to wait until he becomes an old man before taking on the role.