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54-730: Mustique / m ʌ ˈ s t iː k / is a 2,470 hectares (6,100 acres) private island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines . It is part of the Grenadines , a chain of islands in the West Indies . The island is located within Grenadines Parish , and the closest island is the uninhabited Petite Mustique , located 2 km (1.2 mi) to the south. The island's year-round population of about 500 live mostly in

108-653: A libertarian city-state called the Republic of Minerva in the southern Pacific Ocean . There are widely varying government policies regarding private islands: for instance, islands off the coast of China , like any other land within the country, cannot be purchased outright, but only leased from the government for a maximum period of 50 years. "Private" islands in the United Kingdom , Brazil , Chile and some other countries are not always legally entirely private – in some cases foreshore , such as

162-471: A beach, is owned by the government, and is hence publicly accessible property, despite what the owners of the land on the island may wish to claim. The same applies to freedom to roam in Nordic countries: only the yard of a house and the immediate vicinity is legally protected against trespassing, and the water bodies around the island are freely navigable. There are many thousands of uninhabited islands in

216-463: A boat and millions of mosquitoes. There was one dilapidated building used for picking over the cotton, and the remaining villagers lived in corrugated tin shacks which desperately needed upgrading. Significant improvements were made over the subsequent years. According to a 2018 report, "since the 1960s, Mustique has been an exclusive sanctuary for royalty, rock stars, celebrities and heads of industry to relax in anonymity". In 1960, Princess Margaret ,

270-399: A chic, sophisticated and playful way. New features include the open kitchen and hide-away corners for private moments". A jump-up is held every Wednesday night (as of 2019) at this restaurant/bar and on Sundays, it hosts Sunset Jazz evenings, both with live music. The Mustique Blues Festival in late January and early February is held at Basil's Bar. There are no golf courses on the island but

324-543: A church, school, restaurant, a medical clinic, a store and a police station. A May 2019 report indicates that other businesses are now located in the Lovell area: "a seafood market ... a food market, two stores The Purple House and The Pink House ... and a general store that advertised liquor, wine and cigars". Serving locals and some tourists, the View Restaurant and Bar is located in Lovell. When The Mustique Company

378-569: A desalination plant was built to provide potable water, and a medical clinic was opened. The costs of running the island school and medical facility are supported by an educational and medical trust. One report states that "since 1968, more than $ 100 million has been invested in Mustique". In 1971, the SS ; Antilles , referred to locally as the Antilles packboat, struck a reef not far off of

432-713: A formidable grande dame who had diverted a train from the Crimea to Siberia in World War I to save the lives of 70 British nannies. After finishing his schooling at Eton, Tennant enlisted in the Irish Guards , serving during the tail end of World War II and attaining the rank of lieutenant. After the war, he attended New College, Oxford . At Oxford, he gained a reputation for being "terribly kind to plain girls with nice manners and extremely waspish to pretty ones with nasty manners". After graduating, he worked for

486-492: A host of fun activities, with water sports galore, drive in cinemas for golf buggies, tennis, pony camp, beach picnics and treasure hunts, kite flying competitions and children’s menus everywhere. The primary beach is Macaroni on the Atlantic side; large waves make it more suitable for surfing than for swimming. Lagoon Beach on the west side is calmer "but too shallow and seaweedy for swimming" according to one review. Gelliceaux,

540-568: A hotel and cafe on the island. Mustique has several coral reefs . The land fauna includes tortoises , herons , iguanas and many other species. The island has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of lesser Antillean swifts , green-throated caribs , Antillean crested hummingbirds , brown pelicans , Sandwich and royal terns , Grenada flycatchers , Saint Vincent tanagers and lesser Antillean bullfinches . The snake Barbour's tropical racer , as well as two lizards –

594-624: A neglected 15,000 acres in Trinidad . On 21 April 1956, Tennant married Lady Anne Veronica Coke . Lady Anne is the daughter of Thomas Coke, 5th Earl of Leicester . Lady Anne had been one of Queen Elizabeth II 's Maids of Honour at the 1953 coronation , and was also a close friend and lady-in-waiting of the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret . Lord and Lady Glenconner had five children, three sons and twin daughters: Colin Tennant inherited

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648-481: A sheltered bay, is preferable for swimming. Villas for rent (from $ 8,000 for one bedroom to $ 150,000 per week for 6+ bedrooms) include the royals' Les Jolies Eaux, the Indonesian-style Mandalay (built for David Bowie ), Pangolin, a seven-bedroom Balinese home, Toucan Hill with its Moroccan theme and a "travertine-like palace". Boats can be chartered at Endeavor Bay. The Mustique Medical Clinic

702-590: Is Basil's Bar in Britannia Bay. The Bar remains situated right on the water overlooking a striking-blue bay that provides mooring for yachts. The business was owned by Basil Charles for over twenty years; he was previously the barman at Tennant's Cotton House Hotel. In 2017, however he had sold the operation to The Mustique Company. After a renovation, the bar reopened in 2018. One report states that "the makeover of Basil’s Bar sought to pay homage to its heritage (a legendary island institution), while updating it in

756-469: Is managed by Roger Pritchard, who replaced Brian Alexander. He leads a staff of 450 who oversee every aspect of island life, management of the villas and security. The security and fire services are provided by a team of officers led by a former Scotland Yard chief. Every visitor must be registered with the security force. The Mustique Charitable Foundation has been funding programmes for the island locals, such as scholarships, arranging for surgeons to visit

810-653: Is open daily and there is an island pharmacy. In case of serious medical issues, evacuation can be arranged to Martinique or Miami. The island was historically home to fishermen. From the 1960s, its visitors began to include a group whose influence created its current cachet: Lord Glenconner , Oliver Messel , Princess Margaret , Tommy Hilfiger and Mick Jagger . Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , made private visits to Mustique in 1966, 1977 and 1985. William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales , holiday in Mustique often. David Bowie once owned an Indonesian-inspired multi-pavilion villa on

864-432: Is today and Mustique Island was transformed into a private limited company with the 104 homeowners as minority shareholders. Until 2003, Hans Neumann followed by his daughter Ariana Neumann retained a seat on the board and a block of 30% of the shares, which continued to provide stability over the years as it prevented dramatic policy shifts or substantial deviations from the development plan. As of 2019, The Mustique Company

918-534: The Caribbean . The royal couple visited Mustique to accept a wedding gift from Tennant, a plot of land on which the Princess was to build her holiday retreat, Les Jolies Eaux . The cost of running Mustique depleted Glenconner's family fortune, and he was obliged to take on business partners. Eventually, he went into self- exile on St. Lucia , where assisted by Iranian investors, he built and for many years ran

972-525: The green ameiva and bronze anole – inhabit the island. Hawksbill and leatherback sea turtles nest on the beaches. The islands were originally inhabited by people who probably arrived from South America around 2500 BC, subsequently by the Arawaks from 250 BC to 1000 AD, and later by the Caribs , whose simple tools can still be found. The history of European settlement of the island of Mustique, and of

1026-669: The "Bang Between the Pitons " restaurant. After about three years, the restaurant, constructed as "an almost exact copy of Messel's stage set for the 1950s Broadway musical House of Flowers ," went bankrupt. It was eventually resurrected by the Hilton chain of hotels as the Jalousie Bar, part of the Jalousie Resort. Glenconner and his involvement in Mustique has been the subject of multiple documentaries . In 1971, he

1080-683: The 1740s, who found they could grow sugar there in abundance, using enslaved African labour. Because Europe's only sources of sugar at that time were limited quantities from the Canaries and Cyprus , the West Indies became economically significant. The Grenadines passed from France to the British in 1763; farmers Alexander Campbell and John Aitcheson bought the island of Mustique that year. The British built three forts. Cotton and sugar continued to be grown until 1834. The name Mustique comes from

1134-421: The 2nd Baron Glenconner, sold the family business to Consolidated Gold Fields , and Tennant suddenly inherited £1 million. At first, father and son were retained as chairman and deputy chairman, but after his father's retirement in 1967, Tennant failed to become chairman and resigned. The Tennants became significant landowners and industrialists over the years. Part of their land was in the West Indies , including

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1188-485: The 3rd Baron Glenconner in 1983. He initially planned to start farming, "sea island cotton, beef and mutton" but then decided to develop the island into an exclusive hideaway, after forming The Mustique Company in 1968. By that time, cotton production was failing. A report details the state of the island in 1958: Apart from the villagers’ smallholdings, Mustique was a desolate island covered in jungle, scrub and cactus. It had no natural water, no roads, no jetty for landing

1242-535: The Bahamas , and Oceanic countries like French Polynesia . Islands with amenities have higher market value and are not sold as frequently. Some are available for travelers to rent, a trend which increased in the 2000s with economic recession making it more difficult for some owners to maintain them. In the 2000s, the United States housing bubble increased the cost-per-acre for private islands. The effect

1296-475: The French moustique , " mosquito ". The sugar industry lasted until the 19th century, when the cultivation of European-grown sugar beet dramatically reduced the demand for tropical sugar. Mustique's seven plantations were abandoned and eventually swallowed up by scrub , leaving remnants, such as the sugar mill at "Endeavour" and its "Cotton House". The Plantation House was built in the 18th century. The island

1350-473: The Grenadines in general, dates back to the 15th century, when Spanish navigators first sighted this more-or-less linear group of small rocky islands and named them "Los Pájaros" or "the birds", because they resembled a small flock scattered across the sea. During the seventeenth century the islands were renamed the Grenadines by pirates , who used the sheltered bays to hide their ships and loot. The indigenous people were soon outnumbered by European planters in

1404-611: The Philippines having around 7,100. Real estate laws restrict foreigners' ability to buy property in the geographical area, and many islands either have unclear ownership rights or are already settled. Private islands that are available in Southeast Asia's real estate market are also prohibitively costly due to being in high demand by hotel developers. Developments address these difficulties by selling private islands that have villas and neighbor islands that have high-end hotels;

1458-596: The Princess was Assistant Stage Director. It was during this period that Tennant was spotted as a possible husband for Princess Margaret, who had been publicly hurt by the collapse of her hopes of marrying the divorced commoner Group Captain Peter Townsend during 1953. The following year, he was forced to deny newspaper reports that he would shortly announce his engagement to the Princess. "I don't expect she would have had me," he said in later years. Princess Margaret met her future husband Tony Armstrong-Jones , who

1512-511: The cruise line to achieve greater control over the venue and to influence the quality of experience of their passengers. Certain private islands may be used not only by the cruise line that bought the property but also by associated lines. Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner Colin Christopher Paget Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner (1 December 1926 – 27 August 2010) was a British peer, landowner and socialite. He

1566-414: The family's merchanting business, C. Tennant, Sons & Co, and at the same time, began to attract the attention of the gossip columns as Princess Margaret 's escort. During the early 1950s, he was often involved in amateur dramatics ; in 1953, he took part, with Princess Margaret, in a production for charity of an Edgar Wallace play, The Frog ; Tennant played the title role (a serial killer ), and

1620-672: The former Lady Anne Coke , was a lady-in-waiting . In 1958, he purchased the island of Mustique in The Grenadines for £45,000. Colin Tennant was born at 76 Sloane Street in Chelsea, London , on 1 December 1926, the son of the second Baron Glenconner. His mother, Pamela, was the daughter of Sir Richard Paget, 2nd Baronet . After his parents divorced in 1935, he was educated at Scaitcliffe and Eton College , but for years, Tennant rarely saw his father. Holidays from Eton were spent with his maternal grandmother, Lady Muriel Paget ,

1674-551: The island and literacy programmes since 2018. The Mustique Charitable Trusts funds projects such as Disaster Management Education, refurbishment of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital in Saint Vincent, school meal programmes, some literacy projects and after-school programmes, diabetes and hypertension screening, a hospice and tree planting. Mustique Island has many notable features. One of which

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1728-666: The island and sank. In 1976, due to financial problems, Tennant sold a controlling interest (60%) in The Mustique Company to a consortium led by Hans Neumann, a Venezuelan industrialist of Czech origin who had survived the Holocaust by hiding in plain sight in Berlin. Neumann took over control of the island and, in 1979, appointed Brian Alexander to take over its management. Alexander did not retire until August 2008. During Alexander's tenure, homes were built for workers on

1782-582: The island, which he called Britannia Bay . However, he stopped visiting it, saying that "the house was so tranquil and peaceful that he found it hard to get any work done." In 1994, Bowie sold the property for $ 5 million to business tycoon and poet Felix Dennis . After Dennis died in June 2014, the villa was renamed as the Mandalay Estate, and sold to entrepreneur Simon Dolan . In 1996, while on holiday at Mustique, Noel Gallagher wrote and demoed many of

1836-428: The island. Tennant remained the owner of a plot on the island until moving to Saint Lucia in 1992. However, by 1987, Tennant had sold his remaining shares of The Mustique Company to Hans Neumann. After 2007, major improvements were made on the island including a desalination plant, solar panels to provide electricity and the recycling of certain types of trash. In 1988 Hans Neumann set up the ownership structure as it

1890-405: The official website describes the activities available, in addition to tennis and picnicking: ...scuba diving and sailing, to tennis club and exploring the island on horseback. Try the extreme sports of kite-surfing or deep sea diving and fishing, or take a more gentle approach, with a snorkel in the many hidden coves around the island followed by a nurturing spa treatment. Children are indulged with

1944-666: The peerage title and the Tennant baronetcy, along with the family's Scottish estate of The Glen , in 1983, on his father's death. The couple came to divide their time between their house on St. Lucia and their home in England. With his daughter May and her husband Anton, Glenconner began to develop the Beau Estate property between the Pitons. As his eldest son, the Hon. Charles Edward Pevensey Tennant (1957–1996), predeceased him, Glenconner

1998-654: The physical characteristics of the island. The Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic feature a number of private islands, typically run as sheep raising family farms and tourist destinations. Prominent among these is Weddell Island , one of the largest private islands in the world, with a surface area of 265.8 km (102.6 sq mi). While the Hawaiian island of Lanai is still bigger at 364 km (141 sq mi), technically it might not qualify as part of its territory (about 2%) does not belong to

2052-544: The pregnancy and married the actor Norman Bowler seven months later; the couple divorced two and a half years later. After Moraes died in 1999, Joshua Bowler decided to investigate his parentage and wrote to Tennant after a mutual friend recalled seeing the young Tennant and Moraes leave the 1954 ball together. A paternity test revealed that Tennant was indeed Bowler's father, news that Tennant looked upon as "quite magical." Tennant later announced his intention to recognise him in his will. When Lord Glenconner died in 2010, it

2106-533: The principal owner. Swains Island in the Tokelau archipelago has been owned by the family of Eli Hutchinson Jennings since 1856. In the late 1910s, the U.S. and Britain agreed that the island fell under U.S. jurisdiction, and in 1925 it was administratively joined with American Samoa . In the 1950s, after a labor dispute between the Jennings family and workers on its copra plantation , a form of local government

2160-478: The property to her son David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley to avoid later payment of inheritance tax. He sold it in 1999 for a reported £2.4 million and Les Jolies Eaux was made available for rent. In 1964, a new settlement was built, Lovell Village . The original inhabitants of the island were each given a plot of land and a new home in this location. Most of the island locals, who work in Mustique, (roughly 500 people) live in Lovell and for years were served by

2214-573: The proximity keeps costs of habitation down. Europe has hundreds of thousands of islands, many of which are privately owned. With 17,000 islands in Finland, 221,831 islands in Sweden and thousands in Croatia, Europe is increasingly becoming a hotspot for private island holidays. Many islands, although privately owned, are not suitable for development due to legal and governmental restrictions or due to

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2268-412: The sister of Queen Elizabeth II , accepted as a wedding present Colin Tennant's gift of a 4 ha (10 acres) plot of land, where she built a villa called Les Jolies Eaux . She spent time on the island during her honeymoon. In the early 1970s, the princess often visited the island in the company of Roddy Llewellyn . Mustique, she said, "is the only place I can relax". Before her death, the princess gave

2322-803: The songs that would later be released on the Oasis album Be Here Now (1997). Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson and his girlfriend Carrie Symonds spent Christmas 2019 on Mustique with the Bismarck family. Other people who have holidayed on Mustique over the years include Liam Gallagher , Johnny Depp , Kate Moss , Paul McCartney , Jon Bon Jovi , Peter Lynch , Denzel Washington , Pierre Lagrange , Tom Ford , John Travolta and Bryan Adams . Private island Southeast Asia has numerous islands, with Indonesia being an archipelago of 17,000 islands and

2376-551: The villages of Lovell , Britannia Bay and Dovers. The population rises to 1,200 in peak season. Ferry service is provided to the island from Saint Vincent on the M/V Endeavour . The island is owned by the Mustique Company, a private limited company which is in turn owned by the island's homeowners. The island has about 120 private villas, many of which are let through the Mustique Company. The company also owns

2430-693: The world with potential for commercial development of tourist resorts or private recreational use. Some islands can be bought undeveloped, while others already have roads and/or houses. Islands are also available for rent. Many celebrities have their own private islands. Commercial development of uninhabited islands can raise ecological concerns, as many have a fragile environment. The real estate market for private islands varies globally. Prices tend to be lower in Nova Scotia , parts of Michigan and Maine , and parts of Central America ; and higher in Europe,

2484-448: Was established for the island, but the Jennings's ownership of the entire island was affirmed. Virtually all islands in the world are claimed and governed by some national government. That nation's laws apply, and any attempt by the owner to claim sovereignty would generally be unrealistic. Nevertheless, some people still try to set up their own micronations on islands, like real-estate millionaire Michael Oliver 's attempt at building

2538-529: Was formed in 1968, its new manager Hugo Money-Coutts obtained import and other tax free status in return for an annual fee. Building and sales of the villas started soon afterwards. The airport began operation in 1969. In that year, several new villas were built, and the Cotton House opened as a hotel. In the following years, roads were built (although golf carts and ATVs are the only powered mode of transport), electricity and communications became reliable,

2592-684: Was fueled by the advent of the Internet, which provided greater access to island inventories. Conservation groups' efforts to restrict development reduced the supply of private islands in the market, raising prices. Since 1992 a number of cruise lines have acquired "private islands" to offer their customers exclusive beach experiences. Such islands (or sections thereof) were further developed to have restaurants and perhaps additional attractions such as parasailing, waterparks, zip lines, horseback riding, spas and more. Some islands have piers , others are reached by tender . The purchase of an island allows

2646-474: Was hired to take wedding pictures at Tennant's 1956 wedding to Lady Anne Coke . After purchasing the Caribbean island of Mustique in 1958, Tennant built a new village for its inhabitants, planted coconut palms, vegetables, and fruit, and developed the fisheries. In 1960, the British royal yacht Britannia carried Princess Margaret and her new husband, now Lord Snowdon , on a honeymoon cruise around

2700-492: Was interviewed by Alan Whicker for an episode of Whicker's World set on the island. In 2000, a documentary by Joseph Bullman, titled The Man Who Bought Mustique , included Glenconner's first visit to Mustique since his exile. According to a reviewer, Tennant's "occasionally dictatorial manner " was "amply displayed" in the documentary. To describe Tennant, he wrote, "You had to imagine your most crotchety uncle on his worst day and magnify that tenfold." In 1963, his father,

2754-490: Was mostly abandoned in the 1800s, but in 1835 (after the abolition of slavery ) two plantations were reopened after ownership of the island passed to the Hazell family. They grew crops and raised sheep and goats. They also maintained a school for the island locals. In 1865 the two plantations were merged into one estate by the family. Mustique was purchased from the Hazell family in 1958 for £45,000 by Colin Tennant , who became

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2808-471: Was revealed that he had made a new will shortly before his death, leaving all his assets to an employee, Kent Adonai. The family contested this will, and after several years of legal battles, the estate was divided between Adonai and Cody Charles Edward Tennant, the fourth Lord Glenconner. Colin Tennant is portrayed by Pip Carter and Richard Teverson in the Netflix television series The Crown . Anne

2862-489: Was succeeded by his grandson, Cody Charles Edward Tennant (born 2 February 1994). In December 2009, Tennant, then aged 83, learned he was also the father of London psychotherapist Joshua Bowler (born 1955). Bowler's mother, the artists' model and bohemian Henrietta Moraes , had become pregnant following a weekend spent with Tennant after the New Year's Eve 1954 Chelsea Arts Club Ball. However, she never told Tennant about

2916-460: Was the son of Christopher Grey Tennant, 2nd Baron Glenconner , and Pamela Winifred Paget. He was also the nephew of Edward Tennant and Stephen Tennant , and the half-brother of the novelist Emma Tennant . Before succeeding to the peerage in 1983, he had travelled widely, especially in India and the West Indies. He was an avid socialite and a close friend of Princess Margaret , to whom his wife,

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