When Prince William inherited the Duke of Cornwall title from his father, now-King Charles, he also took on the management of the Duchy of Cornwall, a portfolio of land and property. With great power comes great responsibility, and his latest decision has left people feeling "disappointed".
Tenant farmers on the Duchy of Cornwall’s Bradninch estate in Mid Devon are not happy about the Duchy's plans to sell up the land. George Dunn, TFA chief executive, spoke to Farmers Weekly about the situation and said: "We are aware of conversations currently live on the Duchy's Bradninch estate involving the Duchy informing its tenants that it is selling that part of its portfolio and giving the tenants first refusal before doing so.
© Andrew Parsons / Kensington Pala"Obviously, we are disappointed the Duchy is selling, but it is part of its current plans for rationalisation. And, in the world of the second best, we are at least pleased to see that sitting tenants are to be given first refusal on purchasing."
On farmingforum.co.uk, a user speculated the reason behind the surprise sale. "Maybe it was an offer they couldn't refuse? there's a lot of housing development going on over there, well, and everywhere really." Another added: "I would suspect the money raised would earn far more in another part of the investment portfolio."
What is the Duchy of Cornwall?
© Alamy Stock PhotoIt is an extensive property and land portfolio which extends across 23 counties in England and Wales and includes the Oval Cricket Ground and 67,000 acres of Dartmoor. The collection currently makes William the biggest private landowner in Britain.
The Duchy provides William with a private income close to £23 million per year, which is used to fund his charitable, private and official endeavours. The income also covers the cost of staffing William and Kate's household, with the number of employees rising from 66 to 68 in the year to April.
Mental health support
© GettyOf course, money would be a motive for the Duchy, which operates as a business, but William has previously aligned himself with the farmers, who have a variety of struggles in their harsh industry. The Prince became the Patron of We Are Farming Minds back in March 2025. He has long focused much of his work on breaking down the stigma around mental health and takes a keen interest in promoting good mental health among farmers in the UK, a sector where it is not often spoken about.
