Prince William receives a double-edged review from workers during a recent visit to the Duchy of Cornwall, his royal inheritance as heir to the throne. The Prince of Wales stepped into his position as head of the Duchy of Cornwall, a royal estate established by King Edward II in 1337 to provide funds for the heir. The estate spans over 20 counties in England and Wales, comprising farmlands, houses, and other assets, an equivalent of 130000 acres. Since inheriting the estate, the prince has endeavored to visit every four to six weeks, to check in, and oversee the smooth running of the property.
During his latest visit, the Prince of Wales gave The Telegraph an insight into how he handles the place. The crew also got to speak with staff within the estate, including the secretary of the Duchy of Cornwall, who divulged details about Prince William’s leadership in his $1 billion inheritance. The secretary, Will Bax, sang praises of William and his impact on the duchy since taking on the mantle. He shared,
“He’s easy to follow because he’s got great conviction and personality, and he really wears his heart on his sleeve in terms of social interest and his desire to have a positive impact in the world.”
Prince William Deemed Impatient and Demanding in Discharge of Duties
Going further, Bax described Prince William as “a man on a mission,” noting how he inspires change and evolution at the duchy, in a way that delivers “positive impact at scale and at pace.” He noted that the prince was “pretty demanding,” but in a great and ambitious way. The publication also spoke with the estate’s director, Ben Murphy, who chipped in some seemingly not-so-pleasant traits about William.
Surprisingly, these traits have proven to be an asset in his dealings with staff within the Duchy, ultimately ensuring the smooth running of the Duchy of Cornwall. The director described how Prince William often handled things with a “healthy impatience,” just like his dad. Interestingly, that dose of impatience was just enough to “put the wind in our sails.”
William Takes a Dig At Harry in Powerful Talk on Responsibility and Dukedom
Since assuming the royal inheritance, Prince William has improved the conditions in the Duchy of Cornwall, pioneering the establishment of a new healthcare facility with a maternity suite, standard housing plan for key workers, and a project channeled towards sustainable tourism. Explaining the driving force behind his mission, the prince admitted that he saw the duchy as an extension of his philanthropic work with the Royal Foundation. He acknowledged how much work needed to be done “in the rural world,” and the duchy just happened to present another avenue to become a “positive force for good.” William added,
“I’m trying to make sure I’m prioritizing 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.”
Prince William’s comment about “responsibility” as the Duke of Cornwall, his royal inheritance, seemed like an apparent dig at his brother, Prince Harry, who is the ceremonial Duke of Sussex, a title the late Queen bestowed on him and his wife, Meghan Markle, as a wedding gift. Unlike William, who has made proactive efforts to develop his duchy in line with his dukedom, Harry and Meghan, who are miles away in California, have failed to become actively involved with matters pertaining to the running of Sussex since their royal stepdown.
The pair faced scrutiny for their approach to the royal title this year, when Meghan declared that the family now went by “Sussex” as their last name. Enraged critics, including Sussex residents, slammed the pair, noting their undeserving use of the name due to their lack of concern for the county. Regardless, Harry and Meghan have continued to brandish the Sussex surname unapologetically without actually putting in the work required of them as Duke and Duchess.
