Duchy of Cornwall farmers describe Charles as ‘incredibly knowledgeable’

A farming family living in the Duchy of Cornwall have described the Prince of Wales as “incredibly knowledgeable” and his involvement in the estate as “astonishing”.

Rhys and Lois Morris and their two sons William, two, and Fergus, one, appear in the second episode of a documentary series commissioned by ITV to mark the Charles’ 50th working year as the Duke of Cornwall.

The cameras follow as the prince pays a visit to the new Duchy tenants on their 214-acre property near Truro.

Mrs Morris said her eldest son William still talks about the helicopter landing when the prince arrived.

“It was really something special,” Mrs Morris told the PA news agency.

“He is incredibly knowledgeable. It was an honour to be able to show him around and thank him.”

The couple sold their house in Wales one year ago after winning a Duchy tenancy for their commitment to practice organic beef farming.

“For a long time he (Prince of Wales) was looked at when he initially transitioned to organic, he was looked at with scepticism,” Mr Morris said.

“Here we are, 36 years later and now not only has it become the norm, but it’s a big driver in the agriculture industry as a whole.”

Mr Morris said the estate has become an “extension” of the prince’s belief that people should work in harmony with nature.

“It’s astonishing how much he does take in running the estate,” he said.

Mr Morris explained the importance of people putting back in the environment and jumping on board organic farming.

“Without people getting on board with it and joining in then the future is looking very bleak,” he said.

“As caretakers of the land, if we can help in anyway I think the onus is on us to do it.”.

The episode of Prince Charles: Inside The Duchy Of Cornwall, airing at 9pm on Thursday October 31 on ITV, offers a behind the scenes glimpse into the duchy which covers more than 130,000 acres across 23 counties.

The Duchy estate was established by Edward III to provide a private income for his son and heir to the throne Edward, later known as the Black Prince, and its purpose remains the same today.