Overview

• The prince holds private “Duchy days” roughly every four to six weeks to tour its 128,494-acre portfolio, meeting tenants and staff via modern channels like WhatsApp and video updates.
• Staff praise his “ambitious” and “pretty demanding” leadership style, noting his inherited impatience drives swift modernization and calls for greater transparency after past financial controversies.
• William casts the Duchy as an arm of his Royal Foundation philanthropy by backing farmer mental health initiatives such as the We Are Farming Minds support line and rural sustainability programs.
• Recent steps include piloting community housing in Nansledan, restoring rivers and promoting locally grown produce to bolster rural economies and environmental goals.
• Despite generating a surplus of £23.6 million last year, the estate’s history of charging public institutions rent has prompted the Duke to explore social welfare ideas, even entertaining tenants’ calls for rent-free homes.