Windermere Island is a small island

Island

An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

 located in The Bahamas

The Bahamas

The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...

. It is about five and a half miles long, and is noted for its beaches and its celebrity visitors, who use it as a private retreat. The island is connected to the larger island of Eleuthera

Eleuthera

Eleuthera is an island in The Bahamas, lying 50 miles east of Nassau. It is very long and thin—110 miles long and in places little more than a mile wide. According to the 2000 Census, the population of Eleuthera is approximately 8,000...

 by a short bridge, which is protected by a guardhouse. The bridge was built by Lord Trefgarne; who was a former owner of the Island. The adjoining waters and flats of Savannah Sound are considered to be a premier bonefishing location, and Windermere's five-mile long beach is protected by a five-mile long reef which is rich in fish and underwater flora. The beach was considered by Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a French naval officer, explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water...

 to be one of the two most beautiful in the world.

The island is populated with private homes and the remains of the once popular Windermere Island Club which is now closed. Diana Princess of Wales holidayed in one of the houses, and enjoyed the beach in Savannah Sound, from where a member of the paparazzi

Paparazzi

Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...

 snapped the infamous picture of the pregnant Princess in a swimsuit. Famous residents have included Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a French naval officer, explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water...

, The Duke and Duchess of Abercorn (James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn

James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn

James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn, KG , is the current Duke of Abercorn in the Peerage of Ireland, having succeeded his father in June 1979. The son of James Edward Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn, and Lady Mary Crichton...

), India Hicks

India Hicks

India Amanda Caroline Hicks is a former fashion model, 521st inline to the line of succession to the British Throne.-Early life:...

, and The Johnson Family (Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...

). Members of the British royal family visit the island regularly, often arriving by private Helicopter. In April 2008, the island was the setting for the wedding of singer Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...

 to comedian Nick Cannon

Nick Cannon

Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...

, when they were married at her private residence on the island.