Prince William’s duchy gets major news months after brutal backlash

Prince William appears to be speeding up his efforts for his private estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, after receiving criticism over unsustainable practices.

A report by Channel 4's Dispatches and the Sunday Times, claimed that King Charles and his heir to the throne were earing “millions” via from public bodies and charities.

Another major claim targeted Williams ‘empty promises’ about environment and sustainability as his own private estate had “dismal energy ratings (F or G)”.

In the past few months, the Prince of Wales has been making more efforts to highlight the work that is being done and recently the Duchy has agreed to allow a cycle track to be installed on its land.

The property – a 55,000-hectare (135,000 acres) estate across 23 counties, some of which is in Herefordshire – has a landholding is Madley Recreation Ground, which the parish council pays rent of £1,413.25 per month to use, making it the village’s largest ongoing expense.

It now has “written confirmation” by Duchy surveyor Will Norris that there are no objections to a possible cycle track on the land. The update came after the meeting with the parish councillor Chris Williams.

While Prince William doesn’t own the land outright, he manages and benefits from the estate, receiving a private annual income of £23 million from the duchy in 2023 to 2024.