Latest news with #DuchyOfCornwall
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
The "Massive Responsibility" Prince William Is Preparing Prince George to Take Over as the Future Heir
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Prince George has a bright future ahead of him. When his father, Prince William, becomes king, George will be the heir apparent, and he'll eventually assume the role of monarch himself. Following the revelation that Prince William wants Prince George to follow in Princess Diana's footsteps, and that the 11-year-old royal has already been receiving kingship lessons, a new profile of the Prince of Wales hints at another aspect of Prince George's future. The Telegraph recently shadowed Prince William during one of his visits to the Duchy of Cornwall. William, of course, inherited the duchy when King Charles acceded the throne. The duchy—which consists of "128,494 acres of land across 20 counties," per The Telegraph—provides a large source of private income for the Prince of Wales. And when William becomes king, George will take over the Duchy of Cornwall. Discussing his hopes for the future of the duchy, which his son will run, William told the outlet, "We're not the traditional want to be more than that." Elaborating on his plans, Prince William told The Telegraph, "I see the duchy as an extension of the work we do with the Royal Foundation." He continued, "I see it as a branch of my so much good we can do in the rural world. I see [the duchy] as another arm to the work that I want to do, which is being a positive force for good." William further explained, "The duchy has been a positive force for good, but we can do so much more." As reported by The Telegraph, William's aims include "ending homelessness to restoring rivers," and he hopes he can make a real difference within the duchy. Alongside aiding those experiencing homelessness, William's work includes "supporting the mental health of farmers, and arranging get-togethers to combat rural loneliness," the outlet reported. As the future owner of the Duchy of Cornwall, Prince George will inherit the responsibilities his father is handling with aplomb. Per the Express, Prince George is likely being prepared for the "massive responsibility" that lies in his future. "The estate will be handed to Prince George and will be in good hands," the outlet reported.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Royal Aides Reveal Prince William Is "Pretty Demanding" and "Impatient" Regarding One Aspect of His Work
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Prince William has been taking on more responsibilities within the Royal Family in recent years, and he has also taken over the Duchy of Cornwall. In a new profile of the Prince of Wales, royal aides discussed William's approach to running the duchy, which reportedly includes some "demanding" behavior and a degree of "impatience." The Telegraph recently accompanied the Prince of Wales when he visited the Duchy of Cornwall. Consisting of "128,494 acres of land across 20 counties," William inherited the duchy when his father, King Charles, acceded the throne. The Duchy of Cornwall is a huge source of income for Prince William, who charges rent on properties and land within the hereditary estate. Discussing William's approach to managing the Duchy of Cornwall, secretary Will Bax told the outlet, "He's easy to follow because he's got great conviction and personality, and he really wears his heart on his sleeve in terms of social interest and his desire to have a positive impact in the world." Bax also called William "pretty demanding," before saying the attribute is "great," especially as the prince is "pretty ambitious." Estate director Ben Murphy discussed Prince William's approach to working within the Duchy of Cornwall, revealing that the royal has a "healthy impatience, as his father did." However, Murphy suggested William's " the wind in our sails; he really cares." William himself opened up about the work he's doing within the Duchy of Cornwall, including building additional houses to help people who are unhoused. "I see the duchy as an extension of the work we do with the Royal Foundation," Prince William told The Telegraph. The Prince of Wales elaborated, "I see it as a branch of my so much good we can do in the rural world. I see [the duchy] as another arm to the work that I want to do, which is being a positive force for good." Bax confirmed William's aims, telling the outlet, "He's a man on a asking us to change and evolve in a way to deliver positive impact at scale and at pace."
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Prince William laughs off awkward question during Duchy of Cornwall meet and greet as ‘demanding and ambitious' royal reveals plans to bring about ‘real change'
Prince William laughed off awkward questions during a meet and greet in his Duchy of Cornwall estate on Friday. The Prince of Wales, 42, was undertaking his monthly 'Duchy day' where he visits the farms and offices on his vast estate, shaking hands and checking in on staff, tenants, farmers and local residents. During his rounds, one tenant asked whether the royal could not only reduce the rents but make the properties on the Duchy of Cornwall's land completely rent-free. William laughed off the query and joked that it wasn't the first time he'd heard that. The uncomfortable moment came after one of the prince's staff described the heir to the throne as 'demanding' when asked about his approach to his new role. But locals and staff alike agreed the prince was going everything he could to modernise the Duchy and bring real change to locals. During a walkabout, The Telegraph revealed that retiree Gerald Addicott asked Prince William whether he could make his home rent-free. The Duke of Cornwall said he wasn't the first person to ask that and then revealed that he had originally looked in to whether it would be possible but was met with 'a lot of sweaty faces' from people who balance his books as they did the calculations. The revelation came after the Duchy of Cornwall's Senior Development Manager Will Bax described the prince as 'pretty demanding' before quickly clarifying that he is in fact 'pretty ambitious' and likes to make change and support new ideas. Ben Murphy, the Duchy's estate director joined in, adding the William is impatient just like his father King Charles because he really cares and that he is constantly trying to increase the pace on projects around the estate. William's tour of his estate comes after he and Catherine revealed they were 'deeply saddened' after a driver ploughed into a crowd of people during Liverpool's Premier League title parade. A total of 79 people including children were injured after the Ford Galaxy rammed into the crowd on Water Street, in the Liverpool city centre, at around 6pm on Bank Holiday Monday. Merseyside Police insisted there was a 'robust' traffic plan in place and that the car followed an ambulance after a roadblock was temporarily lifted so paramedics could help a man who suffered a suspected heart attack. Former Royal Marine, from West Derby, Paul Doyle, 53, appeared before Liverpool Magistrates Court on Friday morning charged with seven offences, including dangerous driving and grievous bodily harm (GBH). The court heard the charges relate to six alleged victims, including four adults - two men and two women - and two children aged 17 and 11. The maximum sentence he could face is life imprisonment. He did not indicate a plea. Prince William and Catherine released a statement on Tuesday afternoon at the same time as King Charles and Queen Camilla, while Princess Anne paid a surprise visit to first responders at a major hospital in Liverpool. The Prince and Princess of Wales said: 'We are deeply saddened by the scenes in Liverpool yesterday. What should have been a joyful celebration ended with tragedy. 'Our thoughts are with those who were injured and to the first responders and emergency services on the ground.' King Charles, who is in Ottawa with Queen Camilla to mark the opening session of Canada's parliament, also said they were 'deeply shocked and saddened'.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
William... the VERY modern Prince: No wearing ties or 'being polite just because I'm in the room' and stick to WhatsApp - royal's new approach to Duchy of Cornwall as he 'removes ambiguity from discreet organisation'
Prince William has revealed his fresh approach for the Duchy of Cornwall, the estate he inherited from his father upon the King's accession to the throne. In an interview with The Telegraph's Royal Editor Hannah Furness, who spent a day travelling alongside the Prince of Wales, 42, as he visited his tenants, the royal shared how he was modernising the land and property empire. This includes encouraging people involved with the Duchy to speak openly, with the Prince telling his staff to 'please give [everyone] proper authority to say what's really going on. Not being polite because I'm in the room,' ahead of a meeting in Dartmoor. Elsewhere, Matthew Morris, the rural director of the Duchy, revealed how employees 'no longer feel the need to put on a tie when the Duke of Cornwall is in town' - perhaps unlike when Charles - who is often smartly dressed in a full suit - visited. The publication also noted how William will communicate with staff via WhatsApp and ask questions over the social media platform in order to keep updated. But while the Prince is seemingly taking a more modern approach to the estate compared to his father, the pair do share a 'healthy impatience'. Ben Murphy, estate director, admitted that the royal has a 'healthy impatience, as his father did', while secretary Will Bax said the father-of-three is 'pretty ambitious' and 'pretty demanding', which he added, is 'great'. Discussing the Duchy's fresh approach, Bax added that the estate has 'perhaps been a slightly discreet organisation that hasn't really put its head above the parapet very much, that hasn't spoken very publicly about what's important to us'. He added that the Prince - who is looking to improve the estate so it has even more of a positive social impact, while keeping its key community spirit - and his team are 'seeking to remove any ambiguity'. The aim for the Duchy's mission, which is to deliver a positive impact for people, places and the planet, to be more understood by the public comes after the property and land empire, as well as the King's estate, the Duchy of Lancaster were investigated by a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary: The King, The Prince & Their Secret Millions. In the 2024 programme, it was revealed how the the Duchy of Cornwall is profiting from public services. In 2017, it billed Devon county council £300,000 in a 21-year rental deal for a primary school on Dartmoor. Other deals include charging a primary school near Bath £60,000 for a 25-year lease and £189,000 to a secondary school in Cornwall over 30 years to use a farmhouse. The Duchy of Cornwall also charges the military to train on its 67,500 acres of Dartmoor, but the MoD would not disclose the exact bill. That is despite Charles being head of the Armed Forces and William being a lieutenant colonel in the Army. Charities have also paid millions to the duchies to rent a 1960s office block in London next to the MI6 HQ. They include Macmillan Cancer Support and Marie Curie Cancer Care, where Charles is patron, and Comic Relief, which William has promoted. Meanwhile, Charles' property empire, which provides a private income to the monarch, is earning £830,000 a year from renting a two-storey warehouse to Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London, bombshell documents revealed. The unprecedented audit of the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, the Prince of Wales's private estate, showed taxpayers are shelling out millions every year to boost the wealth of the senior royals. Charities – even those where the King is patron – are also stumping up millions, the five-month investigation of more than 5,000 landholdings and properties showed. Duchy money is private income for Charles and William on top of the Sovereign Grant. The Duchies are run as commercial enterprises, but pay no capital gains tax nor corporation tax. Both Charles and William do pay income tax, but it is not clear how much. The Duchy of Lancaster, which in 2023 generated £27.4 million for the King, and the Duchy of Cornwall, which raised £23.6 million for William, are not required to pay business taxes. Both estates claim they are not funded by the taxpayer, but the cache of documents obtained by Dispatches and the Sunday Times laid bare the huge income they receive from public services. The Duchy of Cornwall said it is 'a private estate with a commercial imperative... committed to restoring the natural environment', and said it was 'acting in a responsible and sustainable way' on mining. The Duchy of Lancaster said it 'operates as a commercial company' and 'complies with all relevant UK legislation'. The Duchy of Cornwall - a major landowner with 130,000 acres of land - was established in 1337 to provide an income for the heir to the throne. After King Charles ascended the throne in 2023 Prince William took over ownership of the Duchy.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
How I came to spend a day on the farm with Prince William
Nearly six years ago, I spent a day out in the Duchy of Cornwall with Prince William. Then, he was Duke of Cambridge and in the role of the apprentice: his father was the 24th Duke of Cornwall while Queen Elizabeth II was still alive, and William was learning the ropes before one day taking it over. Regularly since, I have thought back to that day out in Somerset, and wondered how the new 25th Dukedom was going. So, last summer I asked Kensington Palace if I could make a return visit to see progress in action, and was surprised to learn they would be open to it. As with all things royal, it has taken some time to align diaries. Before I went, I reminded myself of William the apprentice. He had been endearingly modest about his experience, calling himself a country boy at heart who would take the best of the approaches of his father, the then-Prince Charles, and grandfather, Prince Philip, when it came to farming and rural life, to find his own way. 'I want to learn,' was the mantra back then. 'I'll try my best.' Now, of course, everything has changed. Prince William is now the 25th Duke, with the Duchy of Cornwall estate funding his household and taking up a largely unseen but important part of his day-to-day working life. On September 8 2022, when his father became King, William found himself head of a 128,494-acre estate, with net assets of £1.1 billion and a surplus of £23.6 million at his disposal to shape the Duchy in line with his own vision. The Duchy remains poorly understood by the public, and difficult to explain, with its headline figures about money belying the amount of work constantly ticking over on the ground. My day out with Prince William in early May of this year, a return to Newton St Loe in Somerset, was illuminating – once, that is, the Prince's much-delayed train finally arrived and he'd had a restorative sip of Duchy English sparkling wine. Instead of a prince following in the footsteps of his father, William was happily installed in the role of Duchy leader, eager to set out the changes he has already made and his vision to do more. While before there was watching and learning, now there is a prince whose watchwords are 'modernising', 'reforming', placing 'people' at the centre of his Duchy's work. The seeds of his early ideas are starting to come to fruition. In December 2021, we ran a front page story that he wanted to use Duchy land to house the homeless. In February 2024, he confirmed he would, with an innovative pilot scheme in the Newquay suburb of Nansledan. The Prince sees the Duchy, he says, as a new opportunity to extend his existing philanthropy work into its mostly rural locations. While his vision is sometimes difficult to translate via press release, and the estate is too vast to capture in an ordinary royal engagement, hearing directly from William is the most convincing sell imaginable. He is, as those around him say, a man on a mission. Farmers wax lyrical about the support they've received from the Duchy over the years, and senior members of staff seem – in many hours of interviews, only a fraction of which could fit into the article – fired up by William's zeal. He is passionate about 'turning the tanker', as he put it; relentlessly asking tenants what they needed from him and figuring out how quickly to make it happen. It was nice, too, to see him relaxed – on duty but not full public duty, joking with his team and chatting to anyone he passed. There has been a lot on his shoulders recently, with major illness in the family, and the Duchy is as pleasant a place as any to clear one's head. 'I've got the interest and the passion,' he said in 2019. 'The countryside is deep in my heart.' Now, in 2025, he is finally getting the time and space to prove it.
