Robert Dorrien-Smith

Robert Dorrien-Smith was born in 1951 to Thomas Mervyn Smith-Dorrien-Smith and Princess Tamara Imeretinsky.^[2] He was raised at Tresco Abbey. At age 8, he attended Sunningdale School, a prep school in Berkshire.^[1] He attended an agricultural college^[2] before later being educated at Eton. After the death of his father Thomas Dorrien-Smith in 1973, Robert Dorrien-Smith inherited the lease to Tresco at the age of 22.^[1] Up until 2004, Dorrien-Smith and his wife Lucy had made numerous improvements to Tresco, such as the construction of a new terminal building at Tresco Heliport, as well as many additions to the Tresco Abbey Gardens including a new entrance building, a shell-decorated gazebo^[2] and 2 sculptures by David Wynne.^[4] He also acquired a hotel on the neighbouring island of Bryher, then the second Tresco Estate owned hotel on the Islands,^[2] in 1999.^[5] He introduced the concept of timeshares to Tresco in 1978.^[4]

Dorrien-Smith was one of the backers of a new helicopter service to the islands and the new Penzance Heliport.^[6] He is friends with King Charles III, who, through the Duchy of Cornwall, was the landlord and ultimate owner of Tresco, and often visits the Islands.^[1][3] Dorrien-Smith has been a councillor, representing the ward of Tresco, for the Council of the Isles of Scilly from 1976 to 1979 and since 2002.^[7]

Dorrien-Smith's first marriage was to Lady Emma Windsor Clive; together they had 3 children. His second marriage was to Lucy Morgan Smith, and they had 2 children.^[4]