In July 2018 CMC Marquees were privileged to house the Duchy of Cornwall’s 70th birthday party for HRH The Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall within one of our marquees at the Highgrove Estate. Over the last couple of weeks ITV aired the first in the two-part documentary, Prince Charles: Inside the Duchy of Cornwall looking into the background running of the estate which spans across 23 counties.

Part of episode one featured the special party which celebrated the upcoming big birthday of Prince Charles. The party also commemorated Duchy Day, where all the members of the Duchy team come together to celebrate at the Highgrove Estate.

Over plenty of Pimms, tea, coffee and delicious food, followed by a helping of the stunning hand painted cake by the Angel Cake Company, Prince Charles and the whole of the estate had a wonderful day of celebrations.

Inside the Marquee

The 468 square metre horseshoe shaped marquee provided ample space for the 600 guests at the celebrations last July. The clearspan structure, with no internal ropes or poles, allowed the guests to move freely in and around the marquee to enjoy the celebrations, and mill around with the entirety of the Duchy team.

The draped walls inside the perimeter of the marquee made for a classic, elegant feel within the tent. While in the middle of the structure the clear walls and doorways remained open for the celebrations. This created an open plan feel, allowing guests to come and go freely within the centre of the horseshoe structure. The Duchy opted for no flooring or matting to keep the earthy, outdoorsy feel. The incredibly dry weather in the run up to the event meant the ground was very dry. However, the rain during the afternoon delighted the guests, particularly the farmers in attendance, as they took shelter in the marquee.

The CMC Marquees team spent 3 days on site building the main marquee that hosted the birthday celebrations of the Prince. The 15m x 24m area with two 9m x 6m areas either side, created the horseshoe shape, plus a 9m x 18m catering tent connected to the back of the main structure. Once the celebrations were all over the team spent a further day dismantling the marquees to bring them home to CMC Marquees HQ.

It was an honour to be involved in the double celebrations at the Highgrove Estate and to see our marquee featured in the fantastic documentary showcasing the excellent work throughout the Duchy.

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