A throne for Harry! Builders face race against time to make Caribbean's Clarence House fit for the prince ahead of his arrival in Antigua

Prince Harry will arrive in Antigua on Sunday

It's usually joked that the odor of recent paint heralds a go to by a member of the Royal Household.

And Clarence Home in Antigua was a living proof final night time as builders raced in opposition to the clock to complete restoration work forward of Prince Harry's arrival at present.

The 200-year-old former residence of the Commissioner of the Royal Navy Dockyard – full with its personal throne, an vintage commode constructed right into a chest of drawers – was a favorite spot of Princess Margaret, who spent a part of her honeymoon there.

Harry is because of formally open the constructing this afternoon as he kicks off his Caribbean tour. The 32-year-old Prince will take pleasure in native music and pattern cocktails 'with a Caribbean twist'.

However as locals ready to welcome Harry, not everybody was buzzing with pleasure.

A depressing Meghan Markle was noticed out and about, prompting strategies that she was lacking her Prince after a go to to London to see him earlier this month. She is unlikely to make an look on this tour – and won't have an opportunity to see her associate for greater than a fortnight.

Sporting sun shades and a protracted purple trench coat, actress Miss Markle, 35, was noticed in downtown Toronto the place she movies her tv drama, Fits.

Again in Antigua, 30 painters, stonemasons, electricians and carpenters have been working frantically to finish a three- 12 months challenge to rebuild the historic home after it was badly broken by a hurricane in 1998. 

British businessman Peter Harrison pledged £2.four million to revive the property to its authentic glory. 

The 200-year-old former residence of the Commissioner of the Royal Navy Dockyard was a favorite spot of Princess Margaret

Vintage: Clarence Home has an 18th Century throne inside a chest of drawers

Preparations are nonetheless on going to complete the restoration work earlier than the arrival of Prince Harry

When The Mail on Sunday visited yesterday, some staff had been nonetheless laying bricks outdoors. Others had been chopping metallic for the railings and burning lead over a hearth to weld them into place.

Tiles had been being laid outdoors whereas workers polished the wood flooring and builders shifted particles in vehicles.

Trustee Reginald Murphy, who's overseeing the restoration, stated the Royal go to got here as a shock.

'It has been a bit hectic,' he stated. 'There have been rumours, however we did not know Prince Harry was going to return right here till the final month. We had been aiming to finish this within the first couple of weeks in December, so we moved it ahead a month.'

Lacking him already... Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's girlfriend, is residence alone 

A novel function of the renovated constructing is the 18th Century chamber pot constructed right into a chest of drawers. Dr Murphy stated: 'You pull out the drawer and then you definitely sit on it to do your online business. Poor folks would have simply shoved it underneath the mattress, however this was a extra fancy possibility.

'If Prince Harry needs to check it, then he's welcome to have a go.

'However he must be the one to dump it afterwards!' 

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