Inside the £1.2m Welsh farmhouse King Charles is giving up
King Charles is giving up his £1.2m Welsh farmhouse, which is nestled on the edge of the Bannau Brycheiniog, also known as the Brecon Beacons.
The home, Llwynywermod, near Llandovery in Carmarthenshire, was bought by the Duchy of Cornwall estate on behalf of the then Prince of Wales in March 2007 after 40 years of searching for the right place.
The former coach house and farm buildings are at the centre of 192 acres of idyllic rolling countryside.
The Telegraph said that since the Duchy of Cornwall was passed to Prince William, the King has been paying rent on Llwynywermod.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the King gave notice to the Duchy earlier this year that he would give up the lease which is due to expire later in the summer.
The Telegraph quoted royal sources who said the King remained “passionate” about Wales, but had decided to give up the property because it was “unlikely” he would be able to use it in the same way as before.
The original owner, William Williams in the 13th or 14th century, was related to Anne Boleyn.
The old house and the disintegrating concrete and corrugated iron farm buildings, where there was also an abandoned slurry pit, were restored by Welsh craftsmen using traditional methods and local materials.
There were still remains of the old ruined original house visible at the home when the royals moved in.
Interior pictures of the property show taken when the couple moved in show a rustic, traditional farm house, with white washed walls and original features such as wooden beams and ornate windows.
Over the years, the then Prince of Wales invited members of the nearby area into their home.
Many Welsh children's charities and groups, including Latch for children with cancer, the Cambrian Mountain Initiative and the local WI enjoyed the converted farm buildings and gardens.
Keen gardener, Charles planted climbers including Albertine roses, jasmine and honeysuckle up the walls of the extensive gardens.
Six of the English field maples which formed the avenue of trees at William and Kate’s 2011 wedding were later rehomed at the Welsh retreat.
The idea was Charles’s, and with William and Kate’s approval he set them in the soil at the front of the house, along a rustic wooden fence.
Clarence House tweeted in 2013: “The trees from the Royal Wedding at Westminster Abbey are thriving at Llwynywermod.”
The prince has spoken of the “enduring landscape of Wales” and how “its mountains, patchworked fields and woods; its coastline, castles, villages and market towns” play a vital role in attracting visitors.
He told Visit Wales: “It certainly cast its spell on me a long time ago.”
William inherited a £23 million-a-year income from the Duchy of Cornwall.
As heir to the throne, the prince is entitled to the annual surplus generated by the Duchy’s vast portfolio of land, buildings and financial investments.
He has also taken charge of overseeing the management of the estate.
In 2021-2022, the annual Duchy income came to £23 million for Charles, then the Prince of Wales and now King.
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