THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL TREATED TO ROYAL RUM PUNCH AT THE HERMITAGE PLANTATION INN IN NEVIS

Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 25, 2019 (SKNIS): The Royal Visit of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall was made even more delightful when The Duchess of Cornwall was welcomed by Mr. Richard Lupinacci, and  given the royal treatment on March 21 with a rum punch at The Hermitage Plantation Inn, which is a 17^th century great house in a quiet village like setting in Gingerland, Nevis, tucked into the mountain, 800 feet above sea level with unique rooms and cottages in traditional island design and a renowned restaurant famous for its home cooking fare.

“As the house is famous for its age, it’s also famous for its rum punch and if your curious we would be very happy to make you one,” said Richie Lupinacci to The Duchess. The famous rum punch is made from mountain citrus, brown sugar and dark rum.

Richie, who took Her Royal Highness on the tour of The Hermitage, is the son of Richard and Maureen Lupinacci. Richard Lupinacci is the Manager, Founder and Owner of The Hermitage Plantation Inn, which was purchased in 1971. The Lupinaccis are of Italian, Irish, German and American descent.

Also, at the Hermitage Plantation Inn to greet The Duchess were the Honourable Hazel Brandy-Williams, Junior Minister of Health and Gender Affairs in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), and Joy Napier, St. Kitts and Nevis’ delegate on the Commonwealth Youth Council, Former CARICOM Youth Ambassador and Principal of The Nevis International Secondary School (NISS) School children from the NISS were also on hand to greet the Duchess of Cornwall.

The Hermitage has become a “must see” on the island of Nevis, which brags of original cuisine, reconstructed cottage rooms, collection of antiques, old-fashioned gardens, horses, carriages and local crafts and arts. Before it was transformed into a plantation inn, the Hermitage was a great house built sometime between 1670 and 1740. It is said to be the oldest house in Nevis, and the oldest surviving wooden house in the Caribbean according to Jack Bertholet, author of the 1984 book, CARIBBEAN STYLE, who declared that in twenty years of studying Caribbean architecture from Suriname to Cuba, he had never found an older wooden house.

The Prince and The Duchess are on a 12-day Caribbean tour of Saint Lucia, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Cuba and the Cayman Islands, to cement relationships with the Commonwealth. Cuba, which is not a member of the Commonwealth, will receive its first visit from members of the British Royal Family.  The tour began on the 17^th March in Saint Lucia and will end on the 29^th March in The Cayman Islands.