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“It is surprising, even to a royal editor, to learn how much Prince William manages to do without the wider world noticing.

-LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK

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THE 'DUCHY DAY' WITH THE 25TH DUKE OF CORNWALL! [2/2]

The continuation of Telegraph's exclusive Duchy Day with The Prince of Wales (Duke of Cornwall) :

DOWN TO BUISNESS

At its Bath office, William says with approval that the Duchy serves as a “glue” to bring charities, local authorities and government departments together, to make things happen.

There are a few small tasks to do: signing the certificate for the Prince of Wales Award at the upcoming Devon County Show, and taking a new team photo. “Let’s whizz round and say hello,” he decides, nipping into each of the offices to catch up with the staff he already knows and welcome the new starters.

In each one, he asks for feedback – a quick-fire fact-finding mission from the people who get out and about directly with local farmers.

He tells them it is “crucial” they feel they can always ask him questions too. “In kind of modernising and reforming a bit, there’s always going to be some changes,” he says, in relation to an upcoming office move. “We need to make sure it’s gentle and considerate.”

Of an upcoming Dartmoor meeting, which he will attend, he asks Morris to “please give [everyone] proper authority to say what’s really going on. Not being polite because I’m in the room.”

A cork board in the staff room has the orders of service for several recent Duchy tenant funerals; testament to the local relationships that see land stewards greet farmers with a hug as often as a handshake.

“It’s a family feeling,” says Sarah Bird, a land steward who has worked at the Duchy for 18 years. “The tenants care as much about us as we do about them.”

That mantra is at the centre of William’s approach. “The core part of the Duchy works on its people... what it stands for,” he explains. “The key point of the Duchy for me is about social impact. People, places and planet, those are the key things we’re working on.”

PIES AND PINTS

The Prince of Wales has inherited an estate with a solid track record of helping its farmers in practical ways. In-house experts assist them with paperwork, navigating the ever-changing legislation and reduced funding in the sector. The Duchy puts on free masterclasses from agricultural experts, and supports farms to branch out (“diversify”) into new ways to remain viable – shepherd’s huts for tourists to stay in, say.

“It’s friendly faces coming up the driveway from the Duchy,” says Heather Webb, the head of future farming.

But Prince William is painfully aware, having spent years talking about mental health and hearing some hard truths from farmers, of how isolating, worrying and pressured the lifestyle can be. “In the past, the farmers have been supported in farming ways, but where’s the holistic approach to their life?” he says now. “That’s what we’re trying to patch in. It’s not just, ‘How are your sheep, how is your cattle going?’ It’s not just that. It’s also, ‘How do we look after you as a community?’”

Tenants rhapsodise over “pie and pint” evenings, regular walks and small parties to get neighbours talking.

William recently became patron of the charity We Are Farming Minds, co-founded by Sam Stables, a 45-year-old farmer who once came close to ending his own life and, with his wife, has applied himself to saving others from a similar rock bottom. It now runs a 24/7 support line, and offers funding for counselling, mental health training, social meet-ups and a minibus to get people there.

The Prince “wanted to make sure that his tenants had the support through a service. He’s a family man and loves the country. They [the Duchy] are incredibly caring, they’ve been incredibly kind to us as a family.”

Stuart Rogers, a fifth-generation farmer whose family became Duchy tenants in 2000, called the focus on well-being “pretty unique, it ’s pretty progressive”.

“Farming has been hit by a lot of different things recently. Funding cuts, regulations... There’s a lot of pressure and lone working. Farmers, we carry a lot of weight. It’s funny how it takes the Duchy to get together and meet up.”

Prince William has appointed a new “family farming ambassador”, Sue Padfield, to be a roving “listening ear”.

“An excuse to drag people off the farm and have a pie and a pint together with no agenda,” as Heather Webb puts it. “As a large landowner, we have convening power.”

The Duchy is hosting more events for young farmers, with advice on facilitating tricky questions about succession and taking over the family firm, a topic with which the Prince is presumably familiar.

It is surprising, even to a royal editor, to learn how much William manages to do without the wider world noticing. He films and sends regular video messages for Duchy-related events – a river conservation meeting this month, a charity boxing night. When a tenant suggested he might be interested in the agricultural festival Groundswell, he duly popped up there.

Shortly after Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the King hosted a previously unreported private gathering at St James’s Palace for tenants, appearing tearful as he told them how some of his happiest times had been sitting at their kitchen tables. Prince William, by his side, paid tribute to his father and promised guests he was excited about his future with them.

THE DISPATCHES

It has not always been smooth sailing. At the end of last year, after this day out was first agreed, the Duchy of Cornwall and the Duchy of Lancaster (now the King’s estate) were made the focus of a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary.

There is some defensiveness about it from tenants. “Load of twaddle,” snorts one farmer I ask about it. The suggestion that the Duke or the Duchy don’t care about tenants is “really frustrating, it couldn’t be further from the truth”, says Stuart Rogers. “It’s one of the best things that could have happened to us. Would we still be dairy farming if we hadn’t been bought by the Duchy? Probably not. There’s no better landlord.”

Within the Duchy of Cornwall team, though, there is a willingness to confront it head on. Bax points out some technicalities: the financial status of the Duchy is enshrined in an Act of Parliament; it is obliged to let property at a full and fair annual rent; there are legal safeguards including that the Duke is not about to sell off the capital assets.

That said, there has been some reflection. “The Duchy needs to use that moment as an opportunity to step back and reflect on how we communicate. I don’t think we’ve communicated our mission and particularly all the brilliant work we do very well, to be honest. And as a result I think we are largely misunderstood – or have been by the public at large – in terms of why we exist and our purpose.

“And as a result there’s this extraordinary disconnect between the Dispatches view of the world and the view of the world of people who do work with the Duchy, who almost uniformly see us as a force for good in the world.”

He concludes, “What do we learn from it? The biggest thing we learn is to talk about the brilliant work we do.”

THE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

Lunch, on Duchy days, is taken on the go – a selection of neat sandwiches and wraps for the team, with a chocolate brownie for the road. As we walk along the quiet winding road through the picturesque Newton St Loe – in the middle of the road, because there is no traffic – Matthew Morris’s wife and mother-in-law pop out of a cottage to say hello to William, who stops to pass the time of day.

The final visit is to Grow for Life, a therapeutic gardening charity that aims to help anyone with low confidence, anxiety, depression or feelings of isolation by getting their hands dirty and developing their green fingers.

Among the catmint, alliums, phacelia and forget-me-nots, as bees buzz around them, volunteers are beavering away and doing a good job of pretending they aren’t sneaking a glance at their royal visitor. “Hard at work!” William calls over, keen – with four decades of royal visits under his belt – not to miss anyone out. “I hope you get a cup of tea too.”

The agenda includes digging a bed for runner beans, planting out sweet peas and admiring the first nectarines of the year. Eleanor Carr, horticultural therapy lead, describes how the site was just brambles not long ago, and tells the Prince about the charity’s sessions bringing secondary school boys in to learn by doing. “Do you see a change in them, a difference?” William wants to know. “Is it confidence and calmness?”

The project’s work, he says, is “very professional”: “Chelsea Flower Show, here we come!”

In the orchard, where he is given a bottle of apple juice to take home, one of the gardeners shows the Prince a picture his young daughter has drawn of him on a postcard. “She’s given me more hair, so I love her for that,” says William. He tends to make at least one self-deprecating joke about his hairline with every public appearance.

As he leaves, he asks Duchy staff whether he can arrange to donate damson trees to add to the orchard. By coincidence, volunteers had been talking about getting some just that morning.

There are thank yous and handshakes all round, a wave out of the Land Rover Defender window, and the Duchy day is over.

The Prince will take the train home with his private secretary and small security detail, ready to catch up with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis after school.

George will one day inherit the Duchy, with his father acting as guardian if he is under 18, and will have ideas of his own.

For now, the Prince’s message is quite simple really.

“I’m trying to make sure I’m prioritising stuff that’s going to make people’s lives, living in those areas, better. This is what we’re going to do to make people’s lives in Cornwall better. That, I feel as Duke of Cornwall, is something I should be doing. It’s about responsibility, it’s about leadership, and doing what’s right on the social issues of our time.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2025/05/30/prince-william-exclusive-duchy-cornwall-bring-real-change/

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The Prince of Wales and Prince George of Wales joined Second World War veterans for a tea party at Buckingham Palace in London, as part of the 80th anniversary commemorations of VE Day – May 5th, 2025.

@thewalesbrasil

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The Prince of Wales and Prince George of Wales joined Second World War veterans for a tea party at Buckingham Palace in London, as part of the 80th anniversary commemorations of VE Day – May 5th, 2025.

@thewalesbrasil

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Prince Louis of Wales teases his older brother Prince George of Wales as the latter fixes his hair | 5 MAY 2025

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Wife roaming around trying to be a champion of female leaders meanwhile husband and his charity -

He's nothing but a pathetic waste of space individual. But I guess all the harry widows will still think he's so sweet and innocent & never has any fault in anything.

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Archived Link

I cannot decide what my favorite part of this article is so just read the whole thing. My top 4:

In episode one, we’re treated to a glimpse of Meghan’s bees and told that women should do scary, important things, like keeping bees. In an incredibly relatable, affordable, and woman-affirming twist, she’s hired a professional (male, natch) beekeeper to do all the actual “scary” work for her, as she stands at a safe distance, dancing in a beekeeper suit and coos “good vibes for good hives” to the hive that is totally hers, and something she absolutely has seen before in her yard. I truly believe the only time she’s been near any part of this process previously is to scoop honeycomb from the trays, as it is the only thing we see her take part in.

(Meghan’s guests often do the actual work while she faffs about in the kitchen, telling stories of her legendary hostessing skills)

Through it all, there is the clapping. Meghan is constantly clapping, with her hands lifted high in front of her face, fingers perfectly straight and flat. Greeting a friend who has just come over? Clap. Taking a drink order? Clap. Tasting a bite of food? Clap and a wiggle. If you made a drinking game centered around every time Meghan claps, you’d end each episode on the floor.

She hosts a sort of launch party for her new persona — Meghan Sussex — a title for a job she didn’t want to keep.

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This is entirely to satisfy my weird kink with Kate getting out of cars | March 10 2025

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When I tell you that Fort Belvedere is my Roman Empire.... And I had no idea that Cote de Texas had done a huge post about it!!

I know people think the next logical step for the Wales would be Windsor Castle... But personally, I don't really see them ever living at "the big house". Adelaide is too small even for them now and Royal Lodge is a big no-no imo. This is absolutely my delulu self talking... But I genuinely see the Fort as a possibility.

It's still Windsor, the Middletons live close by, and the rumours about them moving there were so strong that I believe they at least considered it. Come on, it already has a pool and tennis court.

The cons I see are that they were allegedly restoring the cottage next to Adelaide and how bad another move will look like. So maybe they will stay there until Louis goes to uni and then move permanently to Anmer.

Either way, am I the only one that is finally allowing herself to get excited about what life will bring to the Wales?

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Episode 3 (Roy Choi) Food Safety Failure:

Her food is not safe, as we all suspected. So in ep 3 (Choi), she had to do some basic prep work before he arrived.

***Meghan puts partially -cooked chicken back on the same wire rack the chicken was on when raw. That’s a Food 101 safety failure which can spread salmonella, listeria etc. you don’t use the same plates or gear for raw & cooked meats for that very reason.

She needs to stick with sprinkling flowers on doughnuts before she makes someone sick or worse.

I don't plan to watch the show but just from the commercials and footage I've seen on TikTok and the internet, here all the kitchen icks/food safety failures I've seen:

Holding the knife wrong

Barefoot in the kitchen while cooking

Rummaging through drawers and cabinets for things, then immediately picking up food with her bare hands without washing her hands

Long hair not tied back

Touching all the food with her bare fingers

Bronzer fingers

Massively oversized shirts with huge billowy sleeves

Dogs in the kitchen

Taking credit for rainbow fruit platters (that's been on Pinterest since like 2009)

Jelly on ice cream

I mean, this was woman who lived with a professional chef for, what was it, 3 years? 2 years? And she didn't pick up a *single* kitchen tip?

Tell me you don't actually cook without telling me you don't actually cook.

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NEWS -

KATE EFFECT STRIKES AGAIN ♡

The co-founder of The Puppet Company, Sue Lockey revealed that since the Princess of Wales was photographed playing with a baby with their Rabbit Toy during her visit to HMP Styal, they have been received a lot of interest about it.

They said :

"Oh, we just love our friendly Rabbit hand puppet, it's a perfect Easter or new baby gift and it's truly delightful to see The Princess Wales happily playing with it. This cheeky bunny will now forever be known as our Royal Rabbit!”

Talking about the impact the single photo had :

"We've had a huge amount of interest in our rabbit puppets since Kate was pictured playing with our My First Rabbit puppet.

A lot of people are contacting us, saying their children and grandchildren have already been playing with that puppet for many years, which is wonderful to hear."

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NEWS -

THE PRINCE OF WALES & PRINCE GEORGE JOINED IN THE PRE CHRISTMAS FOOTBAL MARCH AT SANDRINGHAM!

Prince George lined up with his dad William to play in a ­traditional festive match for the first time.

They were cheered on from the sidelines by the Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at a pre-Christmas kick-about.

They played on the same team in the annual match between the Sandringham estate workers and neighbouring villagers.

Wills and George were in the team wearing blue, with Wills having number 18 on his shirt, spectators said.

The Prince of Wales almost scored a goal as George was hailed by onlookers for energetically running around the pitch.

An insider said: “It just looked like healthy father-and-son bonding time.

“There were other children playing and it was all good fun and light-hearted.

“It is nice that they have returned to take part in the traditional game as they haven’t done so for years.

Wills and George were watched from the sidelines by the Princess of Wales, 42, who was wearing a dark purple polo neck, long light purple waistcoat, beige trousers and a green peaked cap.

She had her long brown hair tied back in a plait and was holding a pair of black leather gloves.

Prince Louis, six, and Princess Charlotte, nine, were also there to cheer on their dad and brother and stood alongside their mum.

Louis, dressed in navy blue shorts, a light blue top and navy blue trainers, was even spotted taking part in a kickabout with mum Kate.

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British Royal Family - A sweet moment between The Princess of Wales and Mia Tindall as they departing the Christmas Day morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk. | December 25, 2024

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Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis following the Christmas Day morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk | December 25, 2024

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British Royal Family - Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis departing the Christmas Day morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk. | December 25, 2024

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Prince George of Wales following the Christmas Day morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk | December 25, 2024

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Princess Charlotte of Wales, Savannah Phillips, Mia Tindall and Lena Tindall following the Christmas Day morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk | December 25, 2024