ON THE TRAIL OF ROYALTY

CELEBRATE THE CORONATION WITH A TRIP TO A REGAL HOT SPOT

- GEMMA COURAGE

THE GORING HOTEL
A ROYAL SEND-OFF

We can't think of a better way to kick off a royal adventure. Next door to Buckingham Palace, The Goring Hotel has long been a favourite of the royal family. The late Queen Elizabeth II often had Christmas lunch here, the Princess of Wales stayed in the Royal Suite the night before her wedding and it was the hotel's chefs who baked the cake for King Charles' christening in 1948. In 2013 it became the only hotel to have been granted a royal warrant for hospitality services.

To mark King Charles Ill's coronation, chefs have prepared a special menu of fine dining and a special afternoon tea with a selection of English and exotic herbal teas to rival any cocktail menu, and delicacies topped with the King's profile, albeit without a crown - until 6 May.

With walls adorned with photos of the late Queen's coronation in 1953, interiors which are polished but inviting, and with light from the gardens shining through the enormous Georgian windows, enjoying the offerings in the hotel's dining room feels relaxed rather than stifling.

PRESTONFIELD HOUSE
KINGS AND KILTS

Next stop, Scotland. More specifically, Edinburgh's Prestonfield House, visited by Queen Elizabeth on her 80th birthday in 2006.

We arrived by first-class train from King's Cross. It was a five-hour journey, but with comfortable seating and an impressive rotation of food and wine trolleys, the time simply flew by.