Latest news with #KingCharles
CBC
an hour ago
- Business
- CBC
Amid 51st state taunts, King's popularity in Canada grows
King Charles is enjoying a popularity boost and there is considerably more support for maintaining Canada's ties to the Crown now than when he assumed the throne, according to public opinion polls released this week around his two-day visit to deliver a historic throne speech. After the long-reigning and hugely popular Queen Elizabeth died in 2022, there was talk across the Commonwealth realms, including in Canada, about whether it was time to do away with the Crown and embrace republicanism. The U.K.-based Lord Ashcroft firm released a poll ahead of Charles's coronation showing particularly dire levels of support for the monarchy in Canada, finding this country ranked close to last among the 15 countries that have the King as their head of state. At the time, just 23 per cent of the 2,020 Canadian respondents surveyed as part of that poll said they would vote to keep the Crown if there was a referendum, Lord Ashcroft found. The picture has changed dramatically in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's 51st state taunts and sovereignty threats, which has prompted a revival of national pride and newfound affinity for Canadian institutions and symbols, polls suggest. Also, some people here have gotten to know Charles better and they like what they see, pollsters say. Polling firm Pollara surveyed some 3,400 Canadians between May 20 and 24 and found Charles's popularity in Canada has risen substantially since the last time the firm polled on the issue in 2022, with the number of people holding a positive view of the sovereign up some seven percentage points to 44 per cent and those with a negative view down 10 points to 23 per cent. That growth in personal popularity has fuelled support for Canada remaining a constitutional monarchy, Pollara found, with more respondents saying they want the country to keep the Crown (45 per cent) compared to the number who say they want it gone (39 per cent) — a reversal from the last poll the firm did when a plurality of people reported they want to cut ties. In an interview with CBC News, Dan Arnold, the chief strategy officer at Pollara, said there has been a "statistically significant" increase in support for Charles and maintaining the Crown in Canada. "Canadians are feeling better about the Crown and I would speculate that's probably because they're looking for a little bit of stability in a world that feels unstable right now. And there's nothing more stable than an institution that's been around for multiple centuries," Arnold said. "This is, to some extent, seen as an institution that gives us something in this fight with Trump." He noted that while his numbers still aren't as high as his mother's were, "we see a clear increase in terms of the people who feel good about him and a sharp decline in his negatives." Arnold says Charles's performance as King is part of the reason why. "Charles came to power at a time when there was a lot of controversy around him — anybody who's watched The Crown or followed the news for the last 30 years knows all about that — and he's been able to put some of that behind him or at least tamp it down a bit during his time on the throne," Arnold said, adding Charles's cancer battle may also have prompted some sympathy. An Ipsos poll, also released this week, found 66 per cent of the 1,000 people it surveyed in May say Canada's relationship with the monarchy is useful because it sets us apart from our neighbours to the south who live in a presidential republic — up from 54 per cent who said the same in April 2023. Sixty-five per cent of the Ipsos respondents said the monarchy is an important part of Canada's heritage, up from 58 per cent two years ago. There's also been a drop in respondents who say Canada should cut ties to the Crown, falling from a high of 60 per cent in January 2020 to 46 per cent now — a result roughly in line with what Pollara found. And it's not just polls that suggest Charles is enjoying a better standing in Canada — the monarch drew sizeable crowds throughout Ottawa on his tour with Queen Camilla this week. The turnout was stronger than what greeted him on his 2022 visit, when he came as the Prince of Wales. Thousands of cheering spectators snaked through the parliamentary precinct to catch a glimpse of Charles in the royal landau ahead of his speech, a warm reception that appeared to prompt some emotion from the sovereign. "Royals don't normally 'do' emotion, at least they do their very best to hide whatever feeling they have. But for some reason, King Charles seemed unable to do that on this occasion at the end of a short, but highly significant, visit," British broadcaster ITV noted in its coverage of the speech. "It was the warmest of welcomes and the fondest of returns to a nation and a people we love," Charles and Camilla themselves said in a joint statement released after their visit. John Fraser, the founding president of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada, said he doesn't pay much attention to polls — support for the monarchy can go up and down depending on what's going on in the news. But Fraser said it is evident that more people are rallying around the Crown now than they were just a few years ago. "Mr. Chrétien was on to something when he said we should give the Order of Canada to Trump," Fraser said in an interview referring to the former prime minister's quip, adding that the Trump factor has breathed new life into many Canadian institutions, not just the monarchy. "The president may well have given the Crown in Canada a leg up," he said. WATCH | Charles on the True North 'strong and free': 'The true north is, indeed, strong and free,' says King Charles in throne speech 3 days ago Duration 1:32 King Charles received a long round of applause on Tuesday in the Senate as he cited Canada's national anthem, saying the song reminds us, 'the true north is, indeed, strong and free.' Charles's Canadian sovereignty talk in the throne speech this week — and his pledge that the country is "indeed" the True North "strong and free" — also likely gave the Crown's standing a boost, Fraser said, especially among people who were clamouring to see the head of state say something as the country faces Trump's annexationist musings. "I thought he handled himself impeccably," he said. "This throne speech really cemented Charles's role in Canada," added Robert Finch, the chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada. "I've always said the real threat against the monarchy isn't republicanism per se but apathy. Well, after this week, there's a real sense of renewed interest in this institution." He said republicans were counting on an unpopular King Charles to sever Canada's ties to the monarchy. "I just don't think that's going to present itself now," Finch said. "There are certain moments in history that can make or break something and I think this particular tour, in some part due to the timing and the Trump factor, helped make King Charles's position in Canada secure and for that I'm very grateful." Still, some chafed at the idea of Charles taking a stand for Canada in the face of Trump.
Telegraph
3 hours 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.
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Prince William: ‘I want to bring about real change'
When the Prince of Wales comes knocking, there's no need to stand on ceremony. Having inherited the Duchy of Cornwall upon his father's accession, William is leading it with a reforming zeal, a refreshing disregard for formality, and a determination to learn the truth about the lives of its tenants. This is what happened when I spent a day with the unorthodox landlord In a sunny field on the outskirts of Bath, there is a loud pop of a sparkling-wine cork. 'I thought you'd never ask,' says the Prince of Wales, grinning and accepting a glass of fizz from the vineyard stretching out in front of him, on Duchy of Cornwall farmland. He asks local producers questions about soil type, the weather and the history of the land before taking a sip and proclaiming it 'lovely' and 'very discreet', at the start of a day that will go on as pleasantly as it began. For Prince William, this is not just an outing in the peace and quiet of the countryside – although he clearly appreciates that chance. He is here in his role as Duke of Cornwall, head of the estate he inherited the moment his grandmother died and his father became King in 2022. Vast, complex, and spanning 128,494 acres of land across 20 counties, the Duchy takes in both rural and urban life, and the priorities under its 25th Duke – William – range from ending homelessness to restoring rivers. He wants to use it as another 'branch of his philanthropy', he tells me: existing for 'social impact' rather than as an old-style financial resource to be drawn from. The Prince tries to visit part of the Duchy once every four to six weeks, working his way through its farms and offices to meet families and staff, shake hands and quiz them on what he can do to help. His visits are usually private, rarely making the Court Circular and kept quiet by loyal locals who are used to royal comings and goings. Today, in the middle of May, Kensington Palace has granted a rare exception, giving permission for The Telegraph to join the Prince on what has become known as a 'Duchy day' for the first time since he took it over. It is six years since I first spent a day down on the farm with Prince William, and everything has changed. Then, he was in the apprentice role, shadowing his father, who had spent 50 years running the Duchy, and modestly telling farmers, 'I'll try my best.' Now, he is fully in the driving seat, lit up with ideas on how to make his mark and, in his words, change the lives of those who live in his Duchy for the better. From a vineyard to a farm and community garden, via private offices and a peaceful stroll through a Somerset village, he sets out here, for the first time publicly, his vision for a new generation. He is, unmistakably, a man on a mission: to reform his Duchy so it is fit for 2025 and beyond; a 'positive force for good' that will actively 'make people's lives better'. 'We're not the traditional landowner,' he tells me. 'We want to be more than that.' He has allowed unprecedented access to those closest to the project, who are encouraged to speak freely outside of what can sometimes be strict Palace supervision. Developed over weeks of interviews with tenants and the senior staff tasked with bringing his vision to life, and a day with HRH himself, here is the clearest picture yet of the 42-year-old Prince in a new phase of life. 'There is so much good we can do,' he says. He ends the day with a longer to-do list than when he started, and takes home a bottle of home-grown Duchy apple juice. He will have to drink it, he jokes, before his children can get their hands on it. What is the Duchy? For an estate that dates back to 1337, established by Edward III to generate private income for his then seven-year-old heir, the Duchy of Cornwall is surprisingly little known to the public. Fiendishly difficult to explain, it is geographically huge and existentially challenging. Officially it exists to fund the life and work of the Duke of Cornwall and his family – raising £23.6 million in the year to March 2024, which also goes towards running the Kensington Palace operation and paying staff – and passes to the next generation intact: the Duke's role is as steward of the land. As with other landowners, tenants pay rent to the Duchy, and there are commercial leases and market-rate deals with public bodies for properties on estate land. The Prince pays voluntary income tax – though he does not disclose the amount – with annual accounts reported to Parliament and oversight from the Treasury. The Duchy is written about in the popular press, generally, once a year, when its headline profit figures are announced, and is an easy target for critics of the monarchy, who make hay out of the sums of money available to the Royal family. As of now, it has a new strap-line: 'Positive impact for people, places and planet.' The 'people' part is seen as mission-critical, including a heavy focus on solving homelessness, supporting the mental health of farmers, and arranging get-togethers to combat rural loneliness. More than 150 people work across its eight offices, under the leadership of new secretary Will Bax and, ultimately, Prince William. Despite being called the Duchy of Cornwall, its largest landholdings are in Devon. The estate spans land from Herefordshire and Wales to Kent and inner-city London – it owns the Oval in Kennington – and the Isles of Scilly, as well as water: sections of rivers in Dartmoor, Cornish beaches up to the high-tide line, and Plymouth Harbour ('the wet bits', one senior member of staff explains). It remains, arguably, most famous for the Duchy Originals organic food line – particularly known for its biscuits – established by the then Prince Charles in 1990. Though it is now owned by Waitrose (and called Duchy Organic), the estate's annual report warns it could still be muddled in the public imagination. Since Prince William stepped into the role of Duke of Cornwall, he has embarked on a careful but wholesale stocktake of what is working and what is not. He wants to 'dig deeply' to get a 'true feel for what the Duchy is doing', he tells me now, 'trying to just go through with a fine-tooth comb'. 'The Duchy has been a positive force for good, but we can do so much more. I think the key thing is, it's about not losing the important community and historical links of the Duchy. But it's also about making sure we're building on and enhancing, modernising the Duchy.' He adds: 'We're going to modernise it without losing its key spirit of community.' The Prince concedes that 'it's going to take a bit of time' – likening updating the 700-year-old Duchy to 'turning a tanker' – but he is determined to shift the focus away from the revenue-raising of old to put 'social impact' at the centre. He chairs a quarterly meeting of The Prince's Council, attending numerous other committees. He sends questions to staff and chases answers via WhatsApp on any given day. Oddly, he is now technically his father's landlord: Highgrove, the King's pride and joy, is part of the estate, although Charles still has the phone numbers of the right people at the Duchy to call to fix a water leak. The visit On that mid-May day, the Prince arrives at Corston Fields Farm full of apologies. He is slightly late, after a train journey to Bath so delayed that the words 'rail replacement service' were mentioned. The farm, run by self-described 'farmer and farmer's husband' Emily and Eddie Addicott-Sauvao, is an exemplar of Duchy life: Emily's parents have been tenants since 1982 ('the same year I was born', William notes), and their two daughters now lend a hand with pruning. They have diversified into growing quinoa, with a focus on working with local bakeries and hotels, and a line in high-end events at the vineyard including food, wine and music pairing. Their award-winning Minerva sparkling wine, which the Prince tries, is priced at £120. 'We've chosen the right day for it,' he says, as the sun blazes and swallows fly in blue skies over- head. 'Beautiful.' Prince William, in line with all members of his family, is blissfully unaware of the last-minute fluster that comes ahead of almost all royal visits: Eddie is dispatched to find tea bags at the nearest shop while Emily whistles for their temporarily lost dog. They balance a vintage teapot that once belonged to Emily's grandmother in the car for a bumpy journey over the fields to set up in a tent for the Prince's arrival. But when he steps out of his car, wearing an open-necked shirt with his phone tucked into his back trouser pocket, the Prince notices everything. 'What's this here?' he wonders, spotting wool from a scratching sheep at the bottom of a couple of the vines, and hears how the Romans used to grow similar grapes 2,000 years ago in the fields nearby. Like all farmers, the Prince is preoccupied by the weather: it has been dry and he wants to know how it will affect their harvest. He quizzes Rosa, 13, and Charlotte, 10, on what they like about living in the countryside ('you've got to get muddy haven't you, that's critical'), and tells them about his daughter of the same name. He is particularly interested in the 'community days' the couple host at the farm, where locals come, leave their phones behind, and get their hands dirty helping out and meeting their neighbours, before being rewarded with lunch. Asked what the Duchy can do to help their day-to-day lives as tenants, patriarch Gerald Addicott – who is now retired but met the then Prince Charles several times during his own tenancy – teases the Prince that he could make it 'rent-free'. 'You're not the first person to say that,' laughs William, adding – apparently semi-seriously – that he questioned whether he could do just that when he took over, and 'got a lot of sweaty faces' responsible for balancing the books looking back at him. Having spent the past few years speaking to farmers, he has concerns about how best to convince the public of the quality and benefits of locally grown, sustainably produced food. 'There is a huge problem here and I haven't got an answer,' he says of how to recognise the work of British farmers amid cheap supermarket food and the 'generalised' approach of the 'mass retailers'. 'We keep asking more and more of our farmers but you don't necessarily get any benefits back on top of everything you have to do.' Figuring out whether the Duchy can help to promote its small producers is on his to-do list. Staff, by now, are used to receiving a follow-up call or message after each of these visits. When Emily raises her own concerns about the lack of rural skills being taught in schools, the Prince nods. 'We keep talking about the importance of being outside in nature but we don't always give the jobs,' he says. 'These jobs where you have that time in nature and think, 'I enjoy it, I'm loving this.' The opportunities need to be there in schools.' By now, Matthew Morris, the rural director of the Duchy of Cornwall, who is tasked with keeping the Prince vaguely to schedule today, is trying to catch William's attention with an eye on the ticking clock. He has worked for the Duchy for six years, with both the now King Charles and Prince William. He notes cheerfully that staff no longer feel the need to put on a tie when the Duke of Cornwall is in town. The boss It is a cliché to say that the Prince is in his element, but he is. After a period he has described as 'probably the hardest year of my life', in which both his father and his wife were seriously ill, he is as relaxed as I have seen him in a long time. Without the usual press pack travelling with him, he is freer to speak and laughs easily, standing with hands in his pockets and visibly thrilled when he gets the chance to tease one of his team. He is delighted to hear that the office dog barks at Bax ('perhaps it's the beard'). His passion for all he can do at the Duchy is infectious. '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,' says Bax. The Prince is 'pretty demanding', he concedes – quickly clarifying 'that's great' – with a 'pretty ambitious' outlook. Part of the job is amplifying others: 'seeing the spark and getting the bellows out'. Ben Murphy, estate director, describes the relationship between Duke and Duchy as its leader 'laying down the challenge and it's for us to figure out how to address it'. Prince William has a 'healthy impatience, as his father did', which 'puts the wind in our sails; he really cares', Murphy adds. Henry Meacock, the chief executive of homelessness charity St Petrocs, is partnering with the estate on its first housing project with wraparound care to break the cycle of homelessness, with the initial phase due to be complete by the end of this year, and a policy of 'blind tenure' meaning that private renters in Cornwall will live alongside social and supported housing. Prince William 'is personally driving the timetable', he says. 'He would like to deliver more and quicker.' In other words, he is putting his money where his mouth is. 'He's personally invested in the project and personally investing as well.' The work, which is largely invisible to the public, is done alongside the day job of public engagements undertaken as Prince of Wales, passion projects such as The Earthshot Prize and Homewards, and responsibilities including investitures and overseas travel representing his father and the Government. The vision Since taking over as the Duke of Cornwall, Prince William has incorporated much of the work he has been doing elsewhere in his royal life. Nansledan, a new community being built as an extension to Newquay, will be the site of the aforementioned 24 homes dedicated to supporting people experiencing homelessness. The build will use low-carbon materials developed by one of his Earthshot Prize finalists. On family holidays to the Isles of Scilly, where he, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis stay on Tresco, William got into the habit of quizzing residents about what would improve their lives. As a result, a new health and social care facility includes a modern maternity suite, there will be designated key-worker housing to encourage teachers and doctors to stay, and a strategy to make tourism more sustainable. Elsewhere, there are hopes of reviving Cornish high streets and transforming Kennington communities. On the rural side, the Duchy will create 50 hectares (or 70 football pitches' worth) of new woodland per year, restore damaged peatland as part of a major 'Dartmoor vision' project, and take tenants on the 'journey' to net zero by 2032. It has already returned water voles to the rivers in Cornwall. 'I see the Duchy as an extension of the work we do with the Royal Foundation,' says William. While the Foundation, the main charitable vehicle of the Prince and Princess of Wales, has worked traditionally in urban areas, on topics including homelessness, mental health and child development, the Duchy can extend it to the countryside. 'I see it as a branch of my philanthropy,' William says. 'There's so much good we can do in the rural world. I see it [the Duchy] as another arm to the work that I want to do, which is being a positive force for good.' He adds, 'I think the Duchy have got way more levels and gears they can go through to be able to be a bigger force in the community.' The Prince and his staff tend to use the same language when asked about his personal ambitions: impact, vision, scale. 'He's a man on a mission,' confirms Will Bax. 'He's asking us to change and evolve in a way to deliver positive impact at scale and at pace.' While the Duchy has rural communities and environmental stewardship 'in its DNA', Bax says, the new era will see some 'subtle differences' including a focus on people, creating a 'really strong safety net for the vulnerable in society', and 'doubling down on the environmental agenda'. To stewardship – 'that idea of leaving something better than you found it' – they hope to add leader-ship: 'Not being a benign presence but being a presence that is willing to lead on issues that we care about.' The Duchy will also shout more about its achievements. 'The Duchy 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 and what we're here to achieve,' says Bax. 'And we're seeking to remove any ambiguity and ensure people understand that our objective is to deliver positive impact for people, for places and the planet.' While Prince William cannot enter the political arena, with Bax confirming there is a 'fine line between politics and policy', the Duchy is nevertheless 'seeking to find our voice where we think we can represent sensible, balanced views on issues that affect our communities'. 'The Duchy in the past I think has been cautious in that space,' Bax continues. 'We'll continue to be cautious but we won't continue to be voiceless.' Down to business At its Bath office, William says with approval that the Duchy serves as a 'glue' to bring charities, local authorities and government departments together, to make things happen. There are a few small tasks to do: signing the certificate for the Prince of Wales Award at the upcoming Devon County Show, and taking a new team photo. 'Let's whizz round and say hello,' he decides, nipping into each of the offices to catch up with the staff he already knows and welcome the new starters. In each one, he asks for feedback – a quick-fire fact-finding mission from the people who get out and about directly with local farmers. He tells them it is 'crucial' they feel they can always ask him questions too. 'In kind of modernising and reforming a bit, there's always going to be some changes,' he says, in relation to an upcoming office move. 'We need to make sure it's gentle and considerate.' Of an upcoming Dartmoor meeting, which he will attend, he asks Morris to 'please give [everyone] proper authority to say what's really going on. Not being polite because I'm in the room.' A cork board in the staff room has the orders of service for several recent Duchy tenant funerals; testament to the local relationships that see land stewards greet farmers with a hug as often as a handshake. 'It's a family feeling,' says Sarah Bird, a land steward who has worked at the Duchy for 18 years. 'The tenants care as much about us as we do about them.' That mantra is at the centre of William's approach. 'The core part of the Duchy works on its people... what it stands for,' he explains. 'The key point of the Duchy for me is about social impact. People, places and planet, those are the key things we're working on.' Pies and pints The Prince of Wales has inherited an estate with a solid track record of helping its farmers in practical ways. In-house experts assist them with paperwork, navigating the ever-changing legislation and reduced funding in the sector. The Duchy puts on free masterclasses from agricultural experts, and supports farms to branch out ('diversify') into new ways to remain viable – shepherd's huts for tourists to stay in, say. 'It's friendly faces coming up the driveway from the Duchy,' says Heather Webb, the head of future farming. But Prince William is painfully aware, having spent years talking about mental health and hearing some hard truths from farmers, of how isolating, worrying and pressured the lifestyle can be. 'In the past, the farmers have been supported in farming ways, but where's the holistic approach to their life?' he says now. 'That's what we're trying to patch in. It's not just, 'How are your sheep, how is your cattle going?' It's not just that. It's also, 'How do we look after you as a community?'' Tenants rhapsodise over 'pie and pint' evenings, regular walks and small parties to get neighbours talking. William recently became patron of the charity We Are Farming Minds, co-founded by Sam Stables, a 45-year-old farmer who once came close to ending his own life and, with his wife, has applied himself to saving others from a similar rock bottom. It now runs a 24/7 support line, and offers funding for counselling, mental health training, social meet-ups and a minibus to get people there. The Prince 'wanted to make sure that his tenants had the support through a service. He's a family man and loves the country. They [the Duchy] are incredibly caring, they've been incredibly kind to us as a family.' Stuart Rogers, a fifth-generation farmer whose family became Duchy tenants in 2000, called the focus on well-being 'pretty unique, it 's pretty progressive'. 'Farming has been hit by a lot of different things recently. Funding cuts, regulations... There's a lot of pressure and lone working. Farmers, we carry a lot of weight. It's funny how it takes the Duchy to get together and meet up.' Prince William has appointed a new 'family farming ambassador', Sue Padfield, to be a roving 'listening ear'. 'An excuse to drag people off the farm and have a pie and a pint together with no agenda,' as Heather Webb puts it. 'As a large landowner, we have convening power.' The Duchy is hosting more events for young farmers, with advice on facilitating tricky questions about succession and taking over the family firm, a topic with which the Prince is presumably familiar. It is surprising, even to a royal editor, to learn how much William manages to do without the wider world noticing. He films and sends regular video messages for Duchy-related events – a river conservation meeting this month, a charity boxing night. When a tenant suggested he might be interested in the agricultural festival Groundswell, he duly popped up there. Shortly after Queen Elizabeth II's death, the King hosted a previously unreported private gathering at St James's Palace for tenants, appearing tearful as he told them how some of his happiest times had been sitting at their kitchen tables. Prince William, by his side, paid tribute to his father and promised guests he was excited about his future with them. The Dispatches controversy It has not always been smooth sailing. At the end of last year, after this day out was first agreed, the Duchy of Cornwall and the Duchy of Lancaster (now the King's estate) were made the focus of a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary: The King, The Prince & Their Secret Millions. The joint investigation with The Sunday Times detailed how the Duchies, as landlords, were making 'millions of pounds a year by charging the Army, the Navy, the NHS, the prison service and state schools to use their land, rivers and seashores'. At the time, it was met with some incredulity and criticism from the public, who were largely unaware of the estates at all. Those who defended them pointed out that they were acting like any other landowner in Britain. Now, there is some defensiveness about it from tenants. 'Load of twaddle,' snorts one farmer I ask about it. The suggestion that the Duke or the Duchy don't care about tenants is 'really frustrating, it couldn't be further from the truth', says Stuart Rogers. 'It's one of the best things that could have happened to us. Would we still be dairy farming if we hadn't been bought by the Duchy? Probably not. There's no better landlord.' Within the Duchy of Cornwall team, though, there is a willingness to confront it head on. Bax points out some technicalities: the financial status of the Duchy is enshrined in an Act of Parliament; it is obliged to let property at a full and fair annual rent; there are legal safeguards including that the Duke is not about to sell off the capital assets. That said, there has been some reflection. 'The Duchy needs to use that moment as an opportunity to step back and reflect on how we communicate,' says Bax. 'I don't think we've communicated our mission and particularly all the brilliant work we do very well, to be honest. And as a result I think we are largely misunderstood – or have been by the public at large – in terms of why we exist and our purpose. 'And as a result there's this extraordinary disconnect between the Dispatches view of the world and the view of the world of people who do work with the Duchy, who almost uniformly see us as a force for good in the world.' He concludes, 'What do we learn from it? The biggest thing we learn is to talk about the brilliant work we do.' A plan for the future Lunch, on Duchy days, is taken on the go – a selection of neat sandwiches and wraps for the team, with a chocolate brownie for the road. As we walk along the quiet winding road through the picturesque Newton St Loe – in the middle of the road, because there is no traffic – Matthew Morris's wife and mother-in-law pop out of a cottage to say hello to William, who stops to pass the time of day. The final visit is to Grow for Life, a therapeutic gardening charity that aims to help anyone with low confidence, anxiety, depression or feelings of isolation by getting their hands dirty and developing their green fingers. Among the catmint, alliums, phacelia and forget-me-nots, as bees buzz around them, volunteers are beavering away and doing a good job of pretending they aren't sneaking a glance at their royal visitor. 'Hard at work!' William calls over, keen – with four decades of royal visits under his belt – not to miss anyone out. 'I hope you get a cup of tea too.' The agenda includes digging a bed for runner beans, planting out sweet peas and admiring the first nectarines of the year. Eleanor Carr, horticultural therapy lead, describes how the site was just brambles not long ago, and tells the Prince about the charity's sessions bringing secondary school boys in to learn by doing. 'Do you see a change in them, a difference?' William wants to know. 'Is it confidence and calmness?' The project's work, he says, is 'very professional': 'Chelsea Flower Show, here we come!' In the orchard, where he is given a bottle of apple juice to take home, one of the gardeners shows the Prince a picture his young daughter has drawn of him on a postcard. 'She's given me more hair, so I love her for that,' says William. He tends to make at least one self-deprecating joke about his hairline with every public appearance. As he leaves, he asks Duchy staff whether he can arrange to donate damson trees to add to the orchard. By coincidence, volunteers had been talking about getting some just that morning. There are thank yous and handshakes all round, a wave out of the Land Rover Defender window, and the Duchy day is over. The Prince will take the train home with his private secretary and small security detail, ready to catch up with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis after school. George will one day inherit the Duchy, with his father acting as guardian if he is under 18, and will have ideas of his own. For now, the Prince's message is quite simple really. 'I'm trying to make sure I'm prioritising stuff that's going to make people's lives, living in those areas, better,' he says. 'This is what we're going to do to make people's lives in Cornwall better. 'That, I feel as Duke of Cornwall, is something I should be doing. It's about responsibility, it's about leadership, and doing what's right on the social issues of our time.'
National Observer
11 hours ago
- Politics
- National Observer
National chief says First Nations frustrated by 'fast-track' approach to development
The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says she doesn't blame First Nations leaders who are voicing frustration with governments promising to fast-track development in their territories in the name of national unity. "I don't blame them. They're frustrated and they're being disrespected," National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said Wednesday morning. "If we're not at the table making these decisions right off the bat, this is what happens and it causes the Canadian government more problems later." In the throne speech delivered Tuesday in Ottawa by King Charles, the federal government vowed to eliminate all federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility by Canada Day. It also promised to reconfigure approval processes for infrastructure projects to fast-track projects of "national significance." The day before that speech was read, some chiefs — alarmed by Bill 5, legislation introduced in Ontario that the chiefs say would gut protections for threatened species to speed up development — cited the legacy of the Indigenous rights protest movement Idle No More. The Idle No More protest movement took hold under former prime minister Stephen Harper's government as it looked to ramp up resource development. It was sparked by the introduction of the omnibus Bill C-45, also known as the Jobs and Growth Act. Indigenous leaders said the bill would diminish their rights while giving governments and businesses more authority to develop resources without thorough environmental assessments. Indigenous leaders allied with the Idle No More movement staged protests, rallies and blockades on railway lines and highways. The protest movement grew to encompass environmental and Indigenous rights more broadly and earned widespread support from Indigenous communities around the world. In 2013, six young people walked 1,600 kilometres to Ottawa from a Cree community in Whapmagoostui, Que., in support of Idle No More. Their journey attracted hundreds of supporters along the way and was met by thousands more on Parliament Hill. Former Attawapiskat First Nation chief Theresa Spence also staged a hunger strike near Parliament Hill to protest the government's actions, and received backing from Amnesty International. In response to pressure from First Nations leaders, Ontario's Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford and Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce said the province will amend Bill 5 to explicitly include duty-to-consult provisions. Similar legislation proposed in British Columbia has also seen fierce opposition from First Nations leaders in recent weeks. First Nations leaders from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba gathered on Parliament Hill Monday morning to protest being left out of the official itinerary for King Charles's visit to Ottawa — and to remind him that it's his job to inform the prime minister of the government's treaty obligations. 'There's billions, if not trillions of dollars taken out of our territories every year. None of it comes back to our nations,' said Grand Chief of Treaty 8 First Nations Trevor Mercredi at Monday's press conference. 'We all have issues at home, but we're here today to fight for the most important issue of all, and that's our treaties. It's about time the King, the prime minister and premiers fully understand. And if it takes lawsuits for them to fully understand, that's what we'll do once again.' Woodhouse Nepinak said Wednesday that First Nations across the country are united on the need to ensure their treaty and inherent rights are respected, and she expects to speak with Prime Minister Mark Carney in the days ahead. The premiers are set to meet in Saskatchewan next week to recommend projects for the federal government to fast-track. Woodhouse Nepinak said she'll be pushing for First Nations representation at that table. "First Nations are 1.5 million people. We're huge in this country. And I think that the country has to prioritize that," Woodhouse Nepinak said. In a joint media release issued Wednesday, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, the Assembly of First Nations and the Southern Chiefs' Organization said that First Nations must have guiding roles in the new Major Federal Project Office promised by Carney. A spokesperson for federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty said building Canada's economy "relies on a strong partnership" with Indigenous Peoples. "The Crown has a legal duty to consult — a responsibility that applies equally to provinces and territories," Gregory Frame said in a statement late Wednesday. "Getting this right is critical to accelerating projects of national interest in true partnership, to avoid delays caused by legal challenges and to advance reconciliation."
The Sun
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
If Harry thought his China stunt would overshadow the King's Canada trip he was sorely mistaken, expert says
PRINCE Harry was mistaken if he thought his recent stunt visit to China would overshadow the King's trip to Canada, a royal expert has said. The Duke of Sussex made a shock solo appearance in the east Asian nation on the same day King Charles and Queen Camilla touched down in Canada for a crucial state visit. 6 6 Harry was attending a global travel and tourism conference in Shanghai while the King ceremonially opened a session of the Canadian Parliament - being the first monarch to do so since 1957. However, a royal expert has claimed that if Harry attempted to overshadow the King's visit to Canada, he failed. Speaking on The Sun's Royal Exclusive Show, royal correspondent Bronte Coy said Charles' "impactful" speech was miles above what Harry could have achieved in his time in China. In response to a question of whether Harry could be "trying to steal the limelight", she said his stage appearance "didn't really make the cut". Harry's visit to China saw him speak on the importance of sustainable travel on behalf of Travalyst, an organisation he co-founded, which promotes environmentally friendly tourism. During his address to the Envision 2025 Global Partner Conference today, Harry told the travel industry it needed to do more to hit its climate change targets before 2030. To limit global warming to 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and decline 43% by the end of the decade. He added that the Asia-Pacific region is "strongly positioned to do this". While the Duke of Sussex was in Shanghai, the King and Queen were landing in Ottawa to open a session of parliament in the Canadian capital. Charles also gave an impassioned speech during his visit, warning Canada to remain "strong and free" amidst threats from US President Donald Trump to turn the nation into the 51st US state. Prince Harry makes surprise trip to China as King Charles starts historic Canada visit Commenting on the speech, Bronte added: "It was a very supportive speech. "And I think that, as I say, even though it was such a quick trip, it had such a major impact. "[Whereas] Harry's didn't really make the cut." The King, who also serves as the head of state for Canada, backed the nation's independence when he became the first monarch to open a session of parliament since his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, 68 years ago. Charles was given a standing ovation from attendees after declaring during his speech to parliament that 'The True North is indeed strong and free'. The King and Queen Camilla waved to cheering crowds as they took a State Landau open-top carriage through Ottawa, before they arrived at the Senate. 6 6 6 They received the Royal Salute from a 100-person guard of honour from the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment, and a 21-gun salute. Many Canadians have seen the King's 24-hour whistle-stop trip to Ottawa as a symbol of support for the nation as they battle with President Trump — despite Charles inviting the US leader for a second state visit earlier this year following his return to the White House. In his address, the King said: "It is with a sense of deep pride and pleasure that my wife and I join you here today as we witness Canadians coming together in a renewed sense of national pride. "Today, Canada faces another critical moment. "Democracy, pluralism, rule of law, self-determination and freedom are values which Canadians hold dear, and ones which the government is determined to protect." And in a possible nod to the ongoing tariff row with Mr Trump, he said: 'The system of open global trade that, while not perfect, has helped to deliver prosperity for Canadians for decades, is changing. Canada's relationships with partners are also changing.' He went on to look to offer reassurance to Canadians over the changing world and their prospects for the future ahead of them. He said: 'Canadians can give themselves far more than any foreign power on any continent can ever take away. 'And by staying true to Canadian values, Canada can build new alliances and a new economy that serves all Canadians.' In the address, which outlined the plans of Mr Carney's government, he described how Canada's PM and Mr Trump had begun a new relationship built on 'mutual respect and founded on common interests'.
