The Duke of Cambridge is reportedly interested in using Duchy of Cornwall buildings to house the homeless.
According to a news article in The Telegraph, Prince William is said to be looking at ways to help the homeless population with Duchy of Cornwall buildings. A royal source told The Telegraph that William’s plan is still in the investigative stage with logistics to be sorted out before a solid plan is implemented.
“The Duke is interested in finding ways to help alleviate the homeless situation in any way he can,” the source continued.
William has been actively involved with the issue of homelessness. One of his first patronages was Centrepoint, which he took up in 2005, and he currently works with The Passage as well to lend support.
William met with the government’s Rough Sleeping Taskforce and said: “The last 18 months of the pandemic have shown us how much we rely on each other to get by – and just how strong our communities can be when we work together to get things done.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, we now need to continue that collaboration to prevent and end homelessness.”
The Duchy of Cornwall was established by Edward III in 1337 as a means to provide land and funds to his heir. In the centuries since, the title, Duke of Cornwall, has passed down to the heir and eldest son of the reigning monarch, as has the portfolio.
Prince Charles, the current Duke of Cornwall, is the longest serving heir in history and has transformed the portfolio into one that encompasses 52,789 hectares of land across 21 counties in the southwest of England. Its portfolio is estimated to be valued at £124 million.
William, who will one day automatically inherit the title, has been attending Duchy of Cornwall meetings with increasing frequency over the past couple of years, taking a more active role in learning about the management of the estate and ways he will make it into his own.
In ITV’s ‘Prince Charles: Inside the Duchy of Cornwall’ documentary that aired in 2019, William was interviewed and said: “I’ve started to think about how I will inherit the Duchy one day and what I do with it. I think it’s really important, the family angle, I really do.”
