Poundbury has been created on the basis of architectural principles found desirable by Prince Charles.
It is intended as a Utopian idyll where there is no segregation of social classes, and schools, shops and places of work are within walking distance.
The village’s overall plan was developed in the 1980s by Leon Krier, an architect from Luxembourg, and construction began in October 1993.
It is due for completion in 2025 and Poundbury will have a population of 5,000 people living in 2,250 homes.
Last year, building was completed on a replica of Buckingham Palace in the heart of his ‘Utopian’ village in a touching tribute to his late grandmother.
The huge palladian property sits in the heart of Queen Mother Square, the centrepiece of Poundbury in Dorset, which is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall.
The grand building has been named Strathmore House in a nod to the Queen Mother’s heritage. Her father, Claude Bowes-Lyon was the 14th Earl of Strathmore.
Look familiar? Last year, building was completed on this replica of Buckingham Palace in the heart of his ‘Utopian’ village in a touching tribute to Charles’ late grandmother
The neoclassical building features a large balcony with two majestic pillars and looks remarkably similar to Buckingham Palace, where the Queen Mother lived with King George VI until his death in 1952.
It contains eight luxury flats worth £650,000 each, which have all been sold.
Next to Strathmore House is the Duchess of Cornwall, a five-storey public house modelled on the Ritz Hotel, a favourite haunt of the Queen Mother.
The building, a joint venture between the Duchy of Cornwall and Hall and Woodhouse brewery, will offer a pub restaurant, conference facilities and hotel accommodation.
According to the Hall and Woodhouse website, Prince Charles requested the venture be named after his wife.
Another block of 20 exclusive flats and a spa is being built on the other side of the square and will be called the Royal Pavilion, named after one of the Queen Mother’s racehorses.
The finishing touch to the square will be a 10ft tall statue of the Queen Mother.
A large plinth has been put in place in the square in readiness for the installation of the monument, which is a second casting of the one of the Queen Mother in The Mall depicting her aged 51 and wearing robes.
Prince Charles was very close to his grandmother, who died in 2002 aged 101, and decided several years ago to honour her in Poundbury which is his 25-year experimental project to build a classically designed urban development on Duchy of Cornwall land.