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Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
King Charles Splurges On $3.8M House Next To Queen Camilla's Vacation Home To Protect Her Privacy
King Charles III has purchased a $3.8 million property adjacent to Queen Camilla's Ray Mill House in Wiltshire, England. The monarch's move is reportedly to help his wife prevent its conversion into a wedding venue, thereby safeguarding her privacy and security. Queen Camilla acquired her vacation home, the Ray Mill House, in 1996 following her divorce and uses it as a personal retreat. According to the Daily Mail, the king personally funded the $3.8 million purchase after learning the estate, known as the Old Mill, was set to be converted into a wedding venue. Sources close to Camilla revealed that Charles, 76, grew increasingly uneasy upon hearing that the property's new owners intended to "maximize commercial use of the property as a short-term holiday rental and wedding venue." Concerned about potential security issues and disruptions, he acted swiftly to secure the estate. One insider noted that the prospect of lively wedding parties taking place right next door every weekend left Charles with "great anxiety." "Think of it — dozens of wedding guests carousing every weekend just the other side of her fence," another insider said. According to reports, Charles intends to lease the property to a "security-vetted tenant" who will use it in a way that aligns with royal standards. A royal source described the arrangement as "a pragmatic solution, being both a sound financial investment and a way of maintaining Her Majesty's privacy, protection and continued enjoyment of her much-loved home, without any public funds being used." Meanwhile, Camilla, 77, is said to be "grateful and relieved," especially given the challenges she has faced over the past year. Friends say the situation had become "intolerable" for the queen as the Ray Mill House serves as a sanctuary for her. "She has her horses, she walks her dogs, and [Camilla] loves spending time with her family," one insider said, adding, "This business with her neighbor was frankly the last thing she needed." The Old Mill estate has been a longstanding source of frustration for Charles III and Camilla. In 2018, property developer Phil Clayton purchased the home and quickly began extensive renovations, causing disruptions in the neighborhood. According to Page Six, one of his most controversial changes was converting a garage into a rental unit called Pear Tree Loft, listed on Airbnb, just 200 feet from Camilla's front door. Camilla's security team raised concerns, and she personally objected to Clayton's repeated expansion proposals, even submitting formal complaints on HRH-headed stationery. However, her efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. Friends say the situation had become "intolerable" for the queen. Now, with the Old Mill estate secured, Camilla's long-term plans are more certain. It is believed that if she outlives Charles, she intends to make Ray Mill House her permanent residence rather than move into the palace. Camilla, who wed Charles in 2005, has owned Ray Mill House since 1996, purchasing it a year after her divorce from Andrew Parker Bowles. The property, a blend of 19th-century Italianate architecture with 20th-century Neo-Georgian updates, is a two-story mansion that famously hosted the wedding reception of her daughter, Laura Lopes, in 2006. Friends say Ray Mill House is where Camilla feels most at ease when distressed. She sought refuge there after Queen Elizabeth's passing in 2022 and continues to spend as much time as possible at the countryside retreat when not fulfilling royal duties at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire or Clarence House in London, the official residences she shares with Charles. Camilla's issues with The Old Mill date back to its previous owner, Ralph Adams, who passed away in 2017. At one point, she raised concerns about her dressing room being visible from his property. However, tensions between the neighbors escalated in 2006 when Adams filed a complaint about her overgrown hedge. Garbage collectors refused to drive down their shared access road, citing that the hedge was "out of control." As a result, Adams was forced to haul his bin to the nearest main road, a task he found difficult. Frustrated by the situation, the retired sand merchant remarked, "Walking 400 yards is tough for me, but she can always have a flunky do it."
Telegraph
09-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
King buys £3m home next to Queen's country retreat amid privacy fears
King Charles has bought a £3 million home next to his wife's country retreat amid fears it would be sold and turned into a wedding venue. The Queen bought Ray Mill House in the village of Lacock, Wiltshire, in 1995 and still uses the countryside mansion to spend quality time with her family. But when there were concerns regarding the neighbouring property, the Old Mill, was about to be sold the King stepped in, the Mail on Sunday reported. Over recent years, the Old Mill had undergone development by Phil Clayton, the previous owner, There was local opposition when Mr Clayton converted a former garage on the grounds into a holiday apartment known as Pear Tree Loft. He was granted planning permission to use the outbuilding as a holiday let in February 2022 by Wiltshire council and since then, the one-bed apartment has been listed on Airbnb and for £157 a night. A friend of the Queen told the Mail on Sunday that a potential buyer was seeking to 'maximise commercial use of the property as a short-term holiday rental and wedding venue'. The Old Mill was last sold in 2017 for £675,000. An undated listing brochure for an estate agent, which ceased trading in 2020, described the Old Mill as 'set in the most idyllic position with breathtaking views of the River Avon and surrounding countryside. This enviable position offers great potential with low head water turbines providing an income, set within approximately two acres'. The house, which had been listed for £1.25 million, was then said to be 'in need of some updating'. It was said to have four bedrooms, two en-suite bathrooms, a large 'unconverted' room, two other bathrooms, three reception rooms, a kitchen and a cloakroom. The King is understood to have bought the property, which shares a private lane with Ray Mill House, using private funds. A royal source told the Mail on Sunday: 'The new arrangement is a pragmatic solution, being both a sound financial investment and a way of maintaining Her Majesty's privacy, protection and continued enjoyment of her much-loved home, without any public funds being used. 'I know how grateful and relieved she is, not least given all the additional stresses and anxieties of the past year,' the source added, in an apparent reference to her husband's cancer diagnosis. The Queen bought Ray Mill House for £850,000 after her divorce from Andrew Parker Bowles. In 2009, the Queen, then the Duchess of Cornwall, was granted permission to do some work of her own when she wanted to extend her country mansion to create space for her grandchildren to stay. The extension included a new attic staircase at the 27-acre property.
