Prince William was handed a significant role by his father King Charles when he ascended to the throne, but one royal expert believes it’s unlikely that the Duke of Cambridge will take on the responsibility
Prince William “won’t commit” to inhabiting a beloved royal estate bestowed upon him by his father, King Charles, according to a former member of the royal staff.
Following his accession to the throne in September 2022, King Charles III announced sweeping changes to the royal hierarchy, including significant roles for his son.
He publicly proclaimed about Prince William: “He succeeds me as Duke of Cornwall and takes on the responsibilities for the Duchy of Cornwall, which I have undertaken for more than five decades.
“With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given.”
Part of Prince William’s inheritance from his father was the stewardship of Highgrove House and Garden in Gloucestershire, a residence adored by Charles and Queen Camilla, reports OK!.
The pastoral home, once shared by Charles, his former wife, the late Princess Diana, and their young sons William and Harry, automatically became Prince William’s in 2022.
Yet, according to Charles’ former gardener Jack Stooks, who tended the gardens at Highgrove for over two decades before retiring last year, it seems unlikely that William will choose Highgrove as his future home.
Stooks pointed out that the Prince’s Foundation currently rents the garden from the Duchy of Cornwall, protecting it for posterity.
“Before he became King, I think the idea was that they needed to make sure that the garden was actually protected,” Jack revealed.
The reasoning, according to Jack, was likely rooted in the belief that Prince William wouldn’t choose Highgrove as his residence upon ascending the throne, leading to measures for its conservation: “So I think he thought that William probably wouldn’t move into Highgrove once he became King, so the idea was, ‘Let’s protect it somehow,’ so it was given over to the Prince’s Foundation. So the Prince’s Foundation now rents the garden from the Duchy of Cornwall.”
Discussing the curious dynamics of royal property arrangements, Jack mused: “The King rents his house from William, and William rents two of his houses from the King, so yeah, it’s quite odd, isn’t it? To think that he’s on their property, and the other ones are on the other property.”
When probed about possible reasons why Highgrove might not be chosen by William, Jack considered the pressures of creating an individual family identity:
“I think that William’s obviously got his own family now, so he’s got his own family unit and they’ve been brought up at Anmer Hall, and also now at the Adelaide Cottage.”
Noting the sentimental value of Highgrove, Jack mentioned: “Highgrove was very much his mum and dad’s home – where they were brought up – so it’s like a family home that mum and dad lived in.”
He also suggested that the Princess of Wales would face an unfair burden if they moved into Highgrove due to the persistent likening to Princess Diana.
“That’s like her having to step into Diana’s shoes,” Jack opined, adding, “And she’s so often compared to Diana in the press, which I think is unfair because, yes, I know she’s the Princess of Wales, and I know that Diana was the Princess of Wales, but they’re very separate people.
“They’re both individual women that, you know, absolutely adore their children.”
