#The Royal Duchy

[guerrerense]

Mainline_2017_08_06_013 por Phil_the_photter Por Flickr: LMS Royal Scot Class No. 46100 Royal Scot rounding the curve at Teignmouth with 1Z37 08:52 Bristol Temple Meads to Par "The Royal Duchy", steam-hauled from Taunton. 6th August 2017.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Inside William’s Next Act: Tatler’s May issue goes behind the scenes as the Prince of Wales is rising above the noise — and playing the long game

The burden of leadership is falling upon Prince William, but as former BBC Royal Correspondent, Wesley Kerr OBE, explains in Tatler’s May cover story, the future king is taking charge

By Wesley Kerr OBE

21 March 2024

When I first met Prince William in 2009, he asked me if I could tell him how he could win the National Lottery.

It was a jokey quip from someone who has since become the Prince of Wales, the holder of three dukedoms, three earldoms, two baronies and two knighthoods, and heir to the most prestigious throne on earth.

He was, of course, being relatable; I was representing the organisation that had allocated Lottery funding towards the Whitechapel Gallery and he wanted to put me at ease.

William is grand but different, royal but real.

At 6ft 3in, he has the bearing and looks great in uniform after a distinguished, gallant military career.

He will be one of the tallest of Britain’s kings since Edward Longshanks in the 14th century and should one day be crowned sitting above the Stone of Scone that Edward ‘borrowed.’

William, by contrast, has a deep affinity with Scotland and Wales, having lived in both nations and gained solace from the Scottish landscape after his mother died.

He’s popular in America and understands that the Crown’s relationship to the Commonwealth must evolve.

The Prince of Wales has long believed that ‘the Royal Family has to modernise and develop as it goes along, and it has to stay relevant’, as he once said in an interview.

He seeks his own way of being relatable, of benefitting everybody, in the context of an ancient institution undergoing significant challenge and upheaval, as the head of a nation divided by hard times, conflicts abroad, and social and political uncertainty.

We might recognise Shakespeare’s powerful line spoken by Claudius in Hamlet: ‘When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.’

With the triple announcement in January and February of the Princess of Wales’s abdominal surgery and long convalescence, of King Charles’s prostate procedure and then of his cancer diagnosis, the burden of leadership has fallen on 76-year-old Queen Camilla and, crucially, on William.

The Prince of Wales’s time has come to step up; and so he has deftly done.

In recent months, we have seen a fully-fledged deputy head of state putting into practice his long-held ideas, speaking out on the most contentious issue of the day and taking direct action on homelessness.

Last June, he unveiled the multi-agency Homewards initiative with the huge aspiration of ending homelessness, backed with £3 million from his Foundation to spearhead action across the UK.

He is consolidating Heads Together, the long-standing campaign on mental health, and fundraises for charities like London’s Air Ambulance Charity.

He was, of course, once a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance services – a profession that had its downside: seeing people in extremis or at death’s door, he found himself ‘taking home people’s trauma, people’s sadness.’

Tom Cruise was a guest at the recent London’s Air Ambulance Charity fundraiser, William’s first gala event after Kate’s operation.

And more stardust followed when William showed that, even without his wife by his side, he could outclass any movie star at the Baftas.

There’s also his immense aim of helping to ‘repair the planet’ itself with his Earthshot Prize: five annual awards of £1 million for transformative environmental projects with worldwide application.

This project has a laser focus on biodiversity, better air quality, cleaner seas, reducing waste and combating climate change. Similar aims to his father; different means to achieve the goal.

On the issue which has caused huge convulsions – the Middle East conflict – William’s 20 February statement from Kensington Palace grabbed attention.

He said he was ‘deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October. Too many have been killed.’

There were criticisms – along the lines of ‘the late Queen would have never spoken out like this’ or ‘what right does he have to meddle in politics?’ – but it was hard to disagree with his carefully calibrated words.

His call for peace, the ‘desperate need’ for humanitarian aid, the return of the hostages.

The statement was approved by His Majesty’s Government, likely cleared with the King himself at Sandringham the previous weekend and also backed by the chief rabbi of Great Britain, Sir Ephraim Mirvis.

Indeed, William and Catherine had immediately spoken out on the horrors of 7 October.

William followed up the week after his Kensington Palace statement by visiting a synagogue and sending a ‘powerful message’, according to the chief rabbi, by meeting a Holocaust survivor and condemning anti-Semitism.

This is rooted in deep personal conviction following William’s 2018 visit to Israel and the West Bank, says Valentine Low, the distinguished author of Courtiers and The Times’s royal correspondent of 15 years, who was on that 2018 trip.

‘William was so moved by his visit to Israel and the West Bank, he found it very affecting, and he was not going to drop this issue – he was going to pay attention to it for the rest of his life,’ says Low.

‘He must feel that… not to say something on the most important issue in the world [at that moment] would be a bit odd if you feel so strongly about it.’

There was concern from some commentators about politicising the monarchy, but this rose above the particulars of party politics.

As Prince of Wales, like his father before him, there is perhaps space to speak out sparingly on carefully chosen issues.

On this occasion, his views were in line with majority public opinion.

On homelessness, news came that same week that William was planning to build 24 homes for the homeless on his Duchy of Cornwall estate.

‘William’s impact is very personal,’ says Mick Clarke, chief executive of The Passage, a charity providing emergency accommodation for London’s homeless.

‘Two weeks before Christmas, the prince came to our Resource Centre in Victoria for a Christmas lunch for 150 people.

He was scheduled to stay for an hour, to help serve, wash up, and talk to people.

He ended up staying for two and a quarter hours, during which time he went from table to table and spoke to every single person.’

Clarke continues:

‘William has an ability to listen, talk and to put people at ease. During the November 2020 lockdown, he came on three separate occasions to help.

It gave the team a boost that he took the time; it was his way of saying: “I support you; you’re doing a great job.”’

Seyi Obakin, chief executive of Centrepoint, one of the prince’s best-known causes, adds:

‘People associate his patronage with the big moments like the time he and I slept under Blackfriars Bridge.

The things that stick with me are smaller in scale and the more profound for it – in quieter moments, away from the cameras, where he has volunteered his time.’

It is a different approach from the King’s.

As Prince of Wales, he was involved in the minutiae of dozens of issues at any one time, working into the night to follow up on emails, crafting his speeches, writing or dictating notes.

Add to that much nationwide touring over 40 years (after he left active military service in 1976), fitting in multiple engagements, often being greeted formally by lord lieutenants.

This is not William’s style. He has commended his father’s model, but he does things his own way.

Although patronages are under review, William has up till now far fewer than either his father or his grandparents.

Charles is sympathetic to William’s approach and his desire to make time with his young family sacrosanct.

They are confidantes, attested by the night of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

They were both at Birkhall with Camilla, reviewing funeral arrangements while the rest of the grieving family were nearby at Balmoral, hosted by the Princess Royal.

Charles has had almost six decades in public life and is the senior statesman of our time, with even longer in the spotlight than Joe Biden.

After Eton and St Andrew’s University, where he met Catherine, William served in three branches of the military between 2006 and 2013, finishing as a seasoned and skilled helicopter rescue pilot.

His later employment as an air ambulance pilot stopped in 2017, when he became a full-time working royal.

At that time, not so long ago – with Harry unmarried, Andrew undisgraced, and Philip and Elizabeth still active – William shared the spotlight.

Now, after the King, he’s the key man.

He can look back on the success of his first big campaign initially launched with his wife and brother in 2016: Heads Together.

‘We are delighted that Prince William should have become such a positive and sympathetic advocate for mental health through his Heads Together initiative and now well-established text service, Shout, among other projects,’ says the longtime CEO and founder of Sane, the remarkable Marjorie Wallace CBE.

‘It is not always known that he follows in the footsteps of his father, the King, whose inspiration and vision were vital in the creation of our mental health charity Sane.

As founding patron, he was instrumental in establishing our 365-days-a-year helpline and was a remarkable and selfless support to me in setting up the Prince of Wales International Centre for Sane Research.’

'Indeed,' says Wallace, 'this is where Prince William echoes the work of his father, showing the same ‘understanding and compassion for people struggling through dark and difficult times of their lives and has done much to raise awareness and encourage those affected to speak out and seek help.

We owe a huge debt to His Majesty and the Prince of Wales for their involvement in this still-neglected area.’

Just as I saw all those years ago at that early solo engagement in Whitechapel, William still approaches his public duties with humour and fun.

‘He defuses the formality with jocularity,’ says Valentine Low, citing two public events in 2023 that he witnessed.

In April last year, while on a visit to Birmingham, William randomly answered the phone in an Indian restaurant he was being shown around and took a table booking from a customer – an endearing act of spontaneity.

On his arrival later that day, the unsuspecting diner was surprised to be told exactly whom he had been talking to.

In October, Low reported, William ‘unleashed his inner flirt as he hugged his way through a visit with Caribbean elders [in Cardiff] to mark Black History Month.

As he gave one woman a hug – for longer than she expected – he joked: “I draw the line at kissing.”

And while posing for a group photograph, he prompted gales of laughter when he quipped: “Who is pinching my bottom?”’

Low believes that when William eventually becomes king, he will be more ‘radical’ than his father but wonders if people will respond to ‘call me William’ when ‘the whole point of the Royal Family is mystique and being different.’

However, William has thought deeply about his current role and is prepared for whatever his future holds.

For now, there is a decision to be made on Prince George’s secondary schooling. It’s said that five public schools are being considered, all fee-paying.

Eton is single-sex and boarding but close to home. Marlborough (Catherine’s alma mater) is co-ed and full boarding. And Oundle, St Edward’s Oxford and Bradfield College (close to Kate’s parents) are co-ed with a mix of boarding and day.

As parents, William and Catherine aspire to raise their children ‘as good people with the idea of service and duty to others as very important’, William said in an interview with the BBC in 2016.

‘Within our family unit, we are a normal family.’ Which may be one reason why he is so resistant to their privacy being compromised either by the media or close family members.

The 19th-century author Walter Bagehot wrote:

‘A family on the throne is an interesting idea also. It brings down the pride of sovereignty to the level of petty life… a princely marriage is the brilliant edition of a universal fact, and, as such, it rivets mankind.’

If hereditary monarchy is to survive, it must beguile us but also demonstrate its utility, that it is a force for good.

William said in that 2016 interview, ‘I’m going to get plenty of criticism over my lifetime,’ echoing Queen Elizabeth II’s famous Guildhall speech in 1992 ‘that criticism is good for people and institutions that are part of public life. No institution – city, monarchy, whatever – should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don’t.’

William saw close up his mother’s ability to bring public focus and her own personal magnetism to any subject or cause she focused on.

He admires his father’s work ethic, the way he ‘really digs down,’ sometimes literally (I understand that gardening is giving the King solace during his cancer treatment).

But the biggest influence for William was Her late Majesty, as he said on her 90th birthday.

As an Eton schoolboy, William made weekend visits to the big house on the hill, being mentored by Granny rather as she had been tutored in the Second World War by the then vice-provost of Eton, Sir Henry Marten.

William said in 2016:

‘In the Queen, I have an extraordinary example of somebody who’s done an enormous amount of good and she’s probably the best role model I could have.’

That said, his aim was ‘finding your own path but with very good examples and guidance around you to support you.'

Queen Elizabeth II had a brilliant way of rising above the fray and usually being either a step ahead of public opinion or in tune with it.

If you are at the helm of affairs in a privileged hereditary position, your duty is to serve and use your pulpit for the benefit of others.

In a democracy, monarchy is accountable.

The scrutiny is intense, with an army of commentators paid for wisdom and hot air about each no-show, parsing each announcement, interpreting each image.

William takes the long view. He has ‘wide horizons,’ says Mick Clarke.

‘There are so many causes that are more palatable and easier to achieve than ending homelessness, but his commitment and drive are 100 per cent.’

The prince seeks a different way of being royal in an ancient institution that must move with the times. His task? To develop something modern in an ever-changing world.

He faces all sorts of new issues – or old issues in new guises.

Noises off from within the family don’t help – Andrew’s difficulties, or the suggestions of prejudice from Montecito a couple of years ago (now seemingly withdrawn), which prompted William’s most vehement soundbite: ‘We’re very much not a racist family.’

William is maybe a new kind of leader who can keep the monarchy relevant and resonant in the coming decades.

Queen Elizabeth II is a powerful exemplar and memory, but she was of her time. William is his own man.

He must overcome and think beyond ‘the unforgiving minute.’

Indeed, he could seek inspiration in Rudyard Kipling’s poem, If.

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch[…]

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

This article was first published in the May 2024 issue, on sale Thursday, 28 March.

[la-belle-histoire]

Queen Victoria with her granddaughters, Princesses Irene, Victoria, Elisabeth, and Alix of Hesse and by Rhine. 1880s.

[world-of-wales]

The Duke of Cornwall (The Prince of Wales) releases a bird which flew to him during a visit to Wistman’s Wood on the duchy land after approving of plans to double the woodland's size in Cornwall as they look to achieve the net zero sustainability goal || 11 July 2023

[thewales-family]

The Duke of Cornwall visits Nansledan to see the site where the Duchy of Cornwall’s first ever innovative housing project to help address homelessness will be built, in Newquay, Cornwall, England -May 9th 2024.

[wonder-worker]

"[Matilda of Boulogne's office as Queen of England], initiated and broadly defined by the coronation ordo, gave her royal power and authority to share in governance. Her obligations and activities were shaped by custom established by previous queens and the ad hoc needs of king and realm. [...] [Matilda's] thorough integration into the governance of the realm was not repeated in [Eleanor of Aquitaine’s] years as queen of England. Eleanor's coronation followed a new model that emphasized the queen as progenitor of royal heirs and subordinate to the king rather than as sharer of royal power. Though Eleanor acted as regent in England between 1156 and 1158 and in Poitou on several occasions from 1165 on, her writs suggest delegated rather than shared royal authority. In England, her power was limited by the lack of lands assigned to her use and by the elaboration of financial and judicial administration. Whereas [Matilda of Boulogne's] inheritance allowed her to play an integral role in politics by securing the Londoners' loyalty and a steady supply of mercenaries, Eleanor's inheritance provided her with more extensive power in Poitou and Aquitaine than in England. Until 1163, Eleanor withdrew funds from the Exchequer by her own writ, but unlike her Anglo-Norman predecessors, she was not a member of its council nor did she issue judgments from the royal court. Eleanor's counsel and diplomatic activities, in contrast to Matilda's, are rarely mentioned. She did, however, encourage the 1159 Toulouse campaign and supported Henry in the Becket affair and the coronation of young Henry. Eleanor was not a prominent curialis; she rarely witnessed Henry's charters or interceded to secure the king's mercy. She did follow in Matilda's footsteps in her promotion of her sons, cultivation of dynastic goals through the Fontevraudian tombs, and patronage that reflected her family's traditions. For Matilda, to be queen encompassed a variety of functions-curialis, diplomat, judge, intercessor, and "regent." Through a combination of factors, Eleanor's role as queen was much more restricted."

-Heather J. Tanner, "Queenship: Office, Custom or Ad Hoc", Eleanor of Aquitaine: Lord and Lady (Edited by Bonnie Wheeler and John Carmi Parsons)

[trexalicious]

Prince William received a staggering $30 million from his first full year's income from the Duchy of Cornwall estate. No wonder H and Rach are sooooo bitter! 🤣

[spiritundaunted]

"A brace of greyhounds...."

"Will you take it back?"

(how cute is Bertie's accent??? 🥹 Love hearing his voice.)

Shortly after being crowned in 1937, King George VI toured the Duchy of Cornwall, making his state entry into Launceston Castle where he was welcomed with age-old ceremonial affairs and presented with "feudal dues" - including the likes of "one hundred shillings and a pound of pepper" and "a brace of greyhounds", after which the gently voiced king asked politely "will you take them back?"

His smile and giggle at the end though! Oh Bertie!

British Pathe

[probablyasocialecologist]

King Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth II have received payments equivalent to more than £1bn from two land and property estates that are at the centre of a centuries-old debate over whether their profits should be given to the public instead.

An investigation by the Guardian has established the full scale of income extracted by the royals from the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, which run giant portfolios of land and property across England.

The duchies operate as professionally run real estate empires that manage swathes of farmland, hotels, medieval castles, offices, shops and some of London’s prime luxury real estate. They also have substantial investment portfolios, but pay no corporation tax or capital gains tax.

Duchy accounts, held in parliamentary and state archives, reveal how the queen and her first-born son, in his capacity as the Duke of Cornwall, benefited from a huge increase in their revenues from the duchies during her seven-decade reign.

[nostalgia-tblr]

oh yeah when the fuck did alicent have an extra son? how many kids are there??

[houseofbrat]

12 JULY 2024: William plays polo at a charity match. Kate and the children do not attend.

William confirms he will attend the Euro final on Sunday, 14 July 2024.

13 JULY 2024: Kate confirms she will attend the men's final at Wimbledon.

14 JULY 2024: Kate attends the Wimbledon men's final with Charlotte and Pippa.

William attends the Euro final with George to watch England lose to Spain.

15 JULY 2024: Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair, "Kate Middleton Is Now “On Summer Break” After Wimbledon Appearance" [archive link]

Kate Middleton’s appearance at Wimbledon on Sunday delighted tennis and royal fans, but it may be some time before we see Kate in public again. According to royal sources, Prince William and Princess Kate are planning to spend most of the summer “below the radar” at their Norfolk bolthole now that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are out of school and Kate continues her course of preventative chemotherapy. While Kensington Palace would not give details on the family’s plans for the summer, a royal source confirmed that the Wales family are now “on summer break.” Sources close to the family say that although they will not be traveling abroad this summer while Kate undergoes treatment, they are excited to visit King Charles and Queen Camilla in Scotland next month. Sunday’s appearance at Wimbledon is likely to be Kate’s last official engagement until later this year.

16 JULY 2024: Will & Kate are looking to hire a new Assistant Private Secretary that can speak "conversational Welsh." [archive link]

Although the new hire would be responsible for Prince William and Catherine's public engagements in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the future King and Queen want their new Assistant Private Secretary to specifically focus on Wales and believe it is "essential" that they speak conversational Welsh. [...] Almost two years after taking on their Wales titles, and after a testing year so far with The Princess' major abdominal surgery and cancer diagnosis, it appears Prince William and Catherine are driving forward with their plans, seeking "specific expertise on Welsh communities, affairs, government, and business". Handled by the largest executive search firm in the United Kingdom, Odgers Berndtson has posted a job advert for an Assistant Private Secretary ("APS"), Wales & UK on behalf of Kensington Palace.

18 JULY 2024: The attempted Donald Trump assassin had searched for images of Kate according to investigation.

23 JULY 2024: William announces more patronages. Kate does not announce any new patronages.

24 JULY 2024: Victoria Ward, The Telegraph, "Prince William refuses to reveal how much tax he pays." [archive link]

The Prince of Wales has chosen not to reveal how much tax he pays on the private income he receives from his vast property portfolio, marking a notable change in approach from when his father was heir to the throne. Prince William’s Duchy of Cornwall estate, the billion-pound business empire he inherited on the death of his grandmother, Elizabeth II, generated profits of £23.6 million in the last financial year. He is understood to pay income tax on the full amount, less household costs, which have also not been disclosed.

26 JULY 2024: Robert Jobson's book excerpt in The Daily Mail, "How the Queen and Charles clashed with William after he refused to stop flying his young family around Britain in his helicopter." [archive link]

One courtier explained: 'The King's relationship with both his sons has been difficult over the years. Even now he is King, with the Prince of Wales, there can be differences of opinion and tensions. Of course, they love each other, but they clash, and sometimes William needs handling with kid gloves.' Another courtier confirmed: 'You have to check first which way the wind is blowing with the prince. They don't see eye to eye on several issues, but why should they? [Prince William's] moment in the top job will come �� perhaps he would do well to remember it is not yet. This is His Majesty's time.' When he loses his temper, William is a bit of a shouter — and his father tends to give as good as he gets. The difference these days is that their arguments usually blow over quite quickly. One recent source of disagreement is William's stubborn refusal to take his father's advice on safeguarding the succession. Earlier this year, the King had raised concerns with his son about the wisdom of William using his helicopter to fly his entire family around the country.

27 JULY 2024: People magazine (US), "Prince William and King Charles Clashed Over Use of Helicopter for Kate Middleton and Their Children, New Book Claims". [archive link]

According to Robert Jobson's soon-to-be-released biography, Catherine, The Princess of Wales, the King, 75, “raised concerns” with William, 42, over his helicopter use with Kate Middleton and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, that sparked a tense disagreement between the pair.  In an excerpt from Jobson’s book, per The Daily Mail, King Charles brought up his worries on the matter after coming to terms with his mortality following his cancer diagnosis, which was announced in February. The King even presented experienced pilot William with “a formal document acknowledging the risks involved and taking full responsibility for his actions” amid their dispute, the new book claims.   Charles’ concerns echoed that of his late mother Queen Elizabeth, who previously requested William not fly with his family on a helicopter from Kensington Palace to his former residence of Anmer Hall in Norfolk, which is a 115-mile journey, according to Robson.  [...] It is also understood that the palace has fully evaluated the risk of the family flying together, compared with implementing a policy where separate travel assets are provided for one or more members of The Prince and Princess of Wales’ family.

30 JULY 2024: The Prince's Trust announces the date for its annual Christmas Carol concert, 09 December 2024.

Hilary Rose, The Times, posts an article about William van Cutsem, friend of Prince William and recently appointed as an adviser to the Duchy of Cornwall. [archive link]

The Earthshot Prize tweets about their third annual Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, which mentions no commitment by William to attend.

03 AUGUST 2024: Daily Mail's Natasha Livingstone

07 AUGUST 2024: Tom Sykes, The Daily Beast, "Princess Kate Will Focus on Her Kids After ‘Brush With Mortality’: Sources" [archive link]

It is thought the smaller Wales family are unlikely to travel this year to Tresco, a small island off the coast of Cornwall, where they have often spent summer holidays. However, The Daily Beast has been told that the couple are aiming to be in Balmoral either for the opening of the grouse-shooting season on Aug. 12 or shortly thereafter. William and Kate both shoot. One friend of the couple told The Daily Beast: “Kate has been exceptionally open and honest about her health. Making two appearances before the summer break, at Wimbledon and Trooping the Colour, was a clear signal that she is doing well. That is what we are hearing privately as well—it’s not over but there is lots of optimism, lots of positivity.” [...] Another source, a Buckingham Palace insider, said they understood there was no sense that Kate was expected to be back on duty for the traditionally busy period of royal engagements that kicks off in the first week of September and runs through to Christmas.

11 AUGUST 2024: William & Kate appear for less than ten seconds in a video message for Team GB with multiple celebrity appearances, after the end of the Olympics.

13 AUGUST 2024: Lucie Heath writes about the Duchy of Cornwall.

The Duchy of Cornwall’s largest single landholding is 27,300 hectares on Dartmoor, which accounts for approximately one third of the National Park. Last year the Government published an independent review of Dartmoor, which concluded the landscape was “not in a good state”. Dr Alexander Lees, a biodiversity expert at Manchester Metropolitan University, said the Duchy of Cornwall has a big part to play in turning things around at Dartmoor and other sites it owns. “As one of Britain’s biggest landowners, the Duchy of Cornwall is in a position of strength to combat the entwined biodiversity and climate crises. However, massive additional investment in conservation is needed across these landholdings,” he said. Dr Lee said: “clearly there is a need to generate income to leverage restoration and rewilding across the estate”, but added it is “questionable” that some of this income comes from a car dealership when the Duchy has promoted reduced car use through its flagship Poundbury housing estate in Dorset.

14 AUGUST 2024: Rebecca English, Daily Mail, "Why Kate's year has been tougher than anyone realises - and why she's starting to glow again." [archive link]

What most will not appreciate is that Catherine had actually been unwell for some time in the run up to her initial abdominal surgery in January (further details of which have not been made public yet by Kensington Palace). It was only after that ‘planned’ operation, of course, which left her in hospital for two weeks, that her cancer was discovered.

The Daily Beast rehashes the "exclusives" from the Daily Mail.

16 AUGUST 2024: Dan Wootton reiterates that Kate may "NEVER" return to full-time royal duties.

Tusk Trust CEO says William wants to introduce his children to Africa.

"He is very knowledgeable and passionate about conservation and the environment,” Mayhew said. “He has a particular love for Africa. He has been incredibly supportive as our patron and proactive in supporting us. We find ourselves incredibly lucky.” Mayhew plans to meet up with Prince William in Cape Town, South Africa, when the Prince of Wales hosts the fourth annual Earthshot Prize Awards there in November. Soon enough, the Prince of Wales will want to introduce his three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — to the continent, Mayhew said. “I think it won’t be long before, you know, he will want to introduce them to Africa,” he said.

17 AUGUST 2024: Natasha Anderson, Daily Mail, reports on how Will, Kate, George, Charlotte, and Louis, spent the day at a large Nerf battle. [archive link]

The Royal family had a bit of a rumble last weekend as the Prince and Princess of Wales faced off against their children in a Nerf battle. Prince George, 11, Princes Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Prince Louis joined in the festivities at the Gone Wild Festival at Holkham Hall, Norfolk for a high-intensity Nerf war with toy guns and smoke bombs. Excitable and 'unforgettable' Louis ran around yelling 'Nerf or nothing, let's do this!', according to Norfolk Nerf Parties boss Georgina Barron. The Princess of Wales, who has been battling cancer, even 'grabbed a Nerf gun, ran around, and played stuck in the mud with her kids', Ms Barron added, noting that hosting the family was the 'biggest honour' and 'unforgettable'. Ms Barron said the royals, who were not photographed at the event, had wanted to enjoy a 'wholesome family day like any other normal family'. Kensington Palace has been approached for comment. 

19 AUGUST 2024: People magazine (US), story about who's who in the Middleton family.

The Mirror, "Kate Middleton's 'tough' side and unlikely inspiration for 'ambitious' plans" [archive link]

The Princess of Wales has rapidly ascended the Royal ranks, becoming a favourite among the Royal Family due to her sense of humour and evident respect for her role. Even during her cancer treatment, she has displayed nothing but strength and determination. Kate, once shy and reserved, has transformed into a confident, playful, and occasionally assertive figure, commanding as much public respect as King Charles or Prince William could ever wish for. This trust that the King places in his "darling daughter-in-law" reportedly leads to her frequently being asked for her opinion due to her relatability.

20 AUGUST 2024: "Princess Charlotte, Lady Louise and the Duchess of Edinburgh go on special trip" [archive link]

Princess Charlotte, Lady Louise and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh went on a special shopping trip in London, according to a source. Charlotte has a good relationship with her great-aunt and the two royals were joined by Sophie's daughter Louise during a trip to Chelsea. The royals headed to the Peter Jones store on King's Road which is said to be one of Charlotte's favourite stores. A source told The Sun: "There is a really warm connection between Sophie and her great-niece, which is very touching."

21 AUGUST 2024: Tom Sykes, The Daily Beast, "Princes William and Harry May Only Reunite at King Charles’ Funeral: Source" [archive link]

Asked about the reports that Harry would not be invited to William’s coronation, the source said: “I believe it 100 percent. Why would William and Kate want all the distraction and circus that his presence would bring? I suspect that William will see Harry one more time in his life in the flesh—at their father’s funeral.” A former Buckingham Palace staffer told The Daily Beast: “Planning for William’s coronation is well underway, and as I understand it there are no plans to invite Harry. It’s hardly surprising when you look at how poisoned the well has become.”

US Weekly (USA) has cover story on William & Camilla, with sourcing from Christopher Andersen's book.

23 AUGUST 2024: People magazine (US), "Prince William's Return to Work Plans Revealed After Summer Break with Kate Middleton and Their Kids" [archive link]

On Aug. 22, Kensington Palace announced that the Prince of Wales, 42, will visit the Homelessness: Reframed exhibit at the Saatchi Gallery in London on Sept. 5. The display highlights the complexities of homelessness across the U.K. and offers the public an opportunity to better understand the stories of individuals who have been affected. Homelessness: Reframed is a collaboration between Prince William's Homewards program, which he launched with the Royal Foundation in June 2023 to help end homelessness for good, the Saatchi Gallery and the Eleven Eleven Foundation. The presentation opened on Aug. 7, and Prince William will visit before it closes on Sept. 20.

25 AUGUST 2024: Kate seen in a car on the way to church 'at Crathie Kirk, Balmoral, Scotland.

Daily Mail, "Inside Kate's slow and steady return to public life: How the Princess of Wales has won over the nation's hearts with appearances at Trooping the Colour, Wimbledon and Crathie Kirk following cancer diagnosis" [archive link]

Her appearance had been in doubt after she missed the final Trooping rehearsal the weekend prior to the celebration, with confirmation that she would attend only given at 6pm the evening before.  [...] And now, Kate has been seen in public for the third time since revealing that she has cancer - just two weeks after her video message praising Team GB.  The royal appeared in high spirits as she was pictured arriving for Sunday service with her husband William at Crathie Kirk today.  William drove the car, smiling as he chatted with his wife and opting for a navy blue suit for the occasion.  The Princess sported the same hat she donned last year for a Sunday church service, when she donned a beige tartan Marlborough trench coat from Holland Cooper with  dark brown wool felt fedora with feathers.

28 AUGUST 2024: The Daily Mail's royal editor, Rebecca English, confirms that William "never planned to" attend the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit in September 2024.

29 AUGUST 2024: Matt Wilkinson, The Sun, reports that both William and Harry attended their uncle's funeral in Norfolk, "Warring Prince William and Harry REUNITE at their uncle’s funeral after Duke of Sussex makes secret dash to UK" [archive link]

The Duke of Sussex, 39, flew from his US home to join his brother, 42, at the service for Lord Robert Fellowes. A local in Snettisham, Norfolk, said: “We never saw them speak to each other and they kept their distance.” The princes both “discreetly” attended the funeral for Lord Fellowes — who was their mother Diana’s brother-in-law. They were said to have kept their distance from each other and sat at the back of the church. Sources close to US-based Harry had previously claimed he would not attend. But a close family friend said they were “very happy to confirm both princes were there”. Another source told how they only saw them at the end of the service at St Mary’s Church. They said: “I didn’t know they were there. They arrived very discreetly.” One local said: “William and Harry were both there but we never saw them speak to each other and they were keeping their distance.”

TIMELINE:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

[so-where-do-we-go-from-here]

“The Duchy of Lancaster said: “His majesty the king voluntarily pays tax on all income received from the duchy.””

Well that’s good of him. We on the other hand are obliged to pay our tax bills.

A lack of transparency about their finances for institutions which receive public money and pay less tax than we are obliged to, eg inheritance and corporation tax, cannot go on.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

[royalty-nobility]

Archduchess Maria Christine (1742-1798)

Artist: Johann Zoffani (German, 1733-1810)

Date: 1776

Medium: Oil painting

Collection: Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Austria

Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen

Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen (Maria Christina Johanna Josepha Antonia; 13 May 1742 – 24 June 1798), was the fifth child of Maria Theresa of Austria and Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor. Married in 1766 to Prince Albert of Saxony, the couple received the Duchy of Teschen, and she was appointed Governor of the Austrian Netherlands jointly with her husband during 1781–1789 and 1791–1792. After two expulsions from the Netherlands (in 1789 and 1792), she lived with her husband in Vienna until her death.

[world-of-wales]

NEWS -

DUCHY OF CORNWALL'S ANNUAL REPORT -

The Duchy of Cornwall has published its Integrated Annual Report, which summarises activities on the Duchy of Cornwall estate for the year ended 31st March 2024.

Read the full report at - https://t.co/AcBoEKuy3q

[thewales-family]

The Duke of Cornwall visits Nansledan to see the site where the Duchy of Cornwall’s first ever innovative housing project to help address homelessness will be built, in Newquay, Cornwall, England -May 9th 2024.