visit duchy of cornwall

A private estate established in 1337 which funds the public, charitable and private activities of the Prince of Wales and his family. (Some information on this website may be out-of-date following the death of Queen Elizabeth)

About the Duchy

The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate established by Edward III in 1337 to provide independence to his son and heir, Prince Edward. A charter ruled that each future Duke of Cornwall would be the eldest surviving son of the Monarch and heir to the throne. The current Duke is HRH The Prince of Wales. He is the 25th Duke in the estate's history. The revenue from his estate is used to fund the public, private and charitable activities of The Duke and his immediate family.

Duchy of Cornwall Eastern District office in Newton St Loe near Bath

The Duchy’s estate extends beyond the geographical boundaries of Cornwall – covering 52,264 hectares of land across 20 counties, mostly in the South West of England. It comprises arable and livestock farms, residential and commercial properties, as well as forests, rivers, quarries, and coastline. Under the guidance of the current Duke of Cornwall, it is the Duchy's responsibility to manage this estate in a way that is sustainable, financially viable and of meaningful value to the local community.

The Duchy employs more than 150 people, who work across seven offices in London, Bath, Dartmoor, Hereford, Liskeard, Poundbury and The Isles of Scilly, as well as in the Duchy's own businesses – the Duchy Nursery and the Duchy Holiday Cottages .

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The Duke of Cornwall

The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate established by Edward III in 1337 to provide independence to his son and heir, Prince Edward.

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History of the Duchy

The Duchy was created in 1337 by Edward III for his son and heir, Prince Edward. A charter ruled that each future Duke of Cornwall would be the eldest surviving son of the Monarch and the heir to the throne.

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Prince William Heads To Cornwall for First Time Since Receiving New Title — and Valuable Estate

The Prince of Wales is also the Duke of Cornwall, a title he took over when his father Charles became King

Prince William is checking out his new domain!

William, who became Duke of Cornwall with the death of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth in September, is visiting the area in the southwest of England for the first time since receiving the new title.

The Duchy of Cornwall is also now a vitally important part of his public life. The vast estate of property and farms and other interests traditionally supports the heir to the throne and his family. In recent years, Prince William , 40, has been shadowing his father, King Charles III , and has made quiet visits to the Duchy, learning more about the 130,000 acres of land with 160 miles of British coastline in 23 counties of England and Wales.

The Duchy was established by King Edward III in 1337 to provide an income for the heir to the throne. King Charles used it also to pay for the life and public work of the heir to the throne and his family — and with Charles at the helm, it has become a major financial concern.

The estate of farmland, property and commercial businesses is worth around $1.3 billion. Last year, it provided Charles with an income of around $25 million.

"He is going to very much take an active role in it. He is fully immersing himself in it," a royal source told PEOPLE in October .

On Thursday, Prince William met some of the organizations in Newquay that are supporting the local community and staff working for the Duchy of Cornwall.

His first stop was at Newquay Orchard, a seven-acre urban green space located on Duchy land which provides environmental education, employability training and community events.

Very much a key community resource that was built and run by the locals, the Orchard has flourished and is now home to a variety of initiatives that aim to combat social isolation, promote healthy lifestyles, and support those who are feeling the difficult impacts of the cost-of-living crisis. The site also runs a community café and acts as a venue offering a space for local people to run events, workshops, classes and social clubs.

He joined volunteers at "An Lowarth," Cornish for "garden," where volunteers can learn skills like mulching and wedding and planting trees as well as improve their physical and mental health.

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The Prince of Wales spent time with some people being trained in cooking, gardening and other practical skills to help them move into employment, education or further training. He visited the community Canteen at the Orchard, where they serve produce grown and picked by volunteers in the gardens.

Prince William also met with Duchy staff at their offices. William has already held meetings with Duchy of Cornwall leaders as he builds his knowledge of the enterprise.

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