Prince William is the BIGGEST private landowner in Britain as he inherits 685-yr-old Duchy of Cornwall
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: The new Prince of Wales has become the biggest private landowner in Britain since he inherited a massive, jaw-dropping 130,000-acre Duchy of Cornwall from his father, the new Monarch, King Charles III. The 73-year-old Monarch, however, has no shortage of places to live in and reportedly has at least nine prominent palaces. The private net worth of Prince William has now skyrocketed to over $1.3 billion holding across 23 counties, including farms, housing developments, seven castles, woodland, coastlines, and commercial property, and now thanks to the 685-year-old private estate which he got from his father.
King Charles is also not far behind his son as he possesses a decent portfolio either directly from the Queen which includes Balmoral and Sandringham or as part of the Crown Estate, such as Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle. He already previously owned Birkhall on the Balmoral estate, inherited from the Queen Mother; Dumfries House and the Castle of Mey, the Scottish landmarks held by his charitable trust; and two Romanian boltholes. Read on to know more about the holdings of the Prince of Wales.
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The Oval Cricket Ground
England is famous for inventing a lot of global sports such as hockey, football, and cricket. In September 1880, the country also hosted its first international Test cricket match on this cricket ground. The Oval Cricket Ground was originally a cabbage patch and market garden. Since then the final Test match of the English season is still traditionally played there. Prince William has now taken over as the new owner of this highly prestigious and historic cricket ground.
Legendary castles
Tintagel Castle, the birthplace of King Arthur sits on a jagged Cornish headland and dates from the 5th century. Along with Tintagel, the Prince of Wales also owns Launceston and Restormel castles, plus 270 ancient monuments, including 12th Century Lydford Castle in Devon, Maiden Castle in Dorset, and the ruins of Berkhamsted Castle, Hertfordshire.
Category C prison
The Prince of Wales also owns the famous or rather infamous Dartmoor Prison, a category C prison where notorious inmates such as London gangsters Frank 'The Mad Axeman' Mitchell and Jack 'the Hat' McVitie have spent a significant amount of time. The prison currently holds 640 prisoners. Besides, Prince William also owns 70,000 acres in Devon.
Millions of woodland
The Prince of Wales single-handedly owns 4,300 acres of managed woodland, including 2,200 acres in Cornwall. Timber is one of the essential components used to make lintels, window frames, and beams for restored properties. Woodchip is collected to smoke locally produced food. In the UK, Greenscombe Wood in the Tamar Valley is one of only four places where the rare Heath Fritillary butterfly is found.
Welsh farmhouse
It is also assumed that Prince William owns his father's Welsh home at Llwynywermod near the Brecon Beacons. King Charles and Camilla often visit the farmhouse which is a 192-acre estate that contains two-holiday cottages.
Highgrove
Prince William's takeover of the Duchy means that he is the new owner of the Highgrove estate situated near Tetbury. It also gives him the chance of charging his father rent on the 18th Century house. The Prince of Wales has seemingly worked hard to restore its garden which has been a significant passion project for him. He keeps bees there and sells jars of their honey for $25 a time.
A Waitrose shop
Prince William owns Tregurra Park in Truro, Cornwall, including a Waitrose store, a household waste recycling center, and a 1,379-space car park.