The Prince of Wales travels all over the UK and abroad for his public engagements; there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes as well.
William, 42, has taken on more responsibility since becoming Prince of Wales in 2022, including becoming the owner of the Duchy of Cornwall – a land and property empire, which provides an income to the heir to the throne.
In an interview with The Telegraph, it’s been revealed that William “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.”
The Duchy comprises an extensive portfolio of land, properties and agricultural land primarily in south-west England, spanning 128,494 acres of land across 20 counties.
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In one of his last public engagements, William visited young farmers at Folly Farm in Somerset, where he was joined by the stars of Clarkson’s Farm.
As the 25th Duke of Cornwall, the Prince is determined to modernise the Duchy by putting “social impact” at its centre, through his capacity as patron of We Are Farming Minds, a Duchy of Cornwall-supported charity, set up to help farmers experiencing isolation and mental health issues.
The newspaper reveals that as well as chairing a quarterly meeting of The Prince’s Council and attending numerous other committees, in a 21st-century take, William communicates to the Duchy’s staff via WhatsApp.
It adds that William also “films and sends regular video messages for Duchy-related events – a river conservation meeting this month, a charity boxing night”. And he also attended the agricultural festival Groundswell last year after a recommendation by a Duchy tenant.
How much income does William receive?
The Duchy of Cornwall is one of the largest and oldest landed estates in Britain and was created in 1337 by Edward III to support his son and heir Prince Edward, known as the Black Prince, and all his subsequent heirs.
Last year’s accounts showed that the Prince of Wales was entitled to an annual private income of more than £23 million from the Duchy last year.
The money is used to fund the official, charitable and private lives of William, Kate and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, but not their travel.
William declined to disclose how much he paid in tax last year, but Kensington Palace said the Prince paid tax at a standard UK tax rate once official costs had been deducted. It is not a requirement for William to disclose the figure.
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