King Charles has held an impressive property portfolio over the years, and one home in particular is likely close to his heart, given its eco-friendly and sustainable credentials, things that are known to be crucial for the monarch
Before King Charles took the throne in 2022, he was Prince of Wales – and the person to hold the title for the longest in British history. During his tenure as Prince of Wales, he took his role incredibly seriously – even spending time at the University of Aberystwyth as a young man learning Welsh so he could speak it at his investiture.
Charles showed his dedication to Welsh culture throughout his time as heir-in-waiting, including reinstating the traditional role of Official Harpist. He also spent a week every year visiting and touring the country around St. David’s Day, when he would stay in an eco-friendly and sustainable home he purchased back in 2007, which he is reported to have spent 40 years hunting for.
The King’s eco-credentials, which have seen him following in his father, Prince Philip’s, footsteps of championing environmentalism, are second to none. This was even the case back when environmental concerns were barely a blip on the public radar, resulting in Charles being initially derided for his perceived quirkiness at times.
Llwynywermod Estate on the outskirts of Myddfai was purchased by Charles through the Duchy of Cornwall in 2007 for £1.2 million, and the estate is pretty impressive. Made up of a main farmhouse, three cottages – that you can actually rent for your very own holiday – and a Grade II listed barn, all of which are surrounded by a whopping 192 acres of pristine Welsh countryside, offering visitors some seriously stunning views.
Charles is reported to have spent 40 years looking for the perfect place to call home in Wales, and Llwynywermod definitely fits the bill when it comes to the sustainability criteria. According to MyLondon, it’s heated using an “eco-friendly wood-chip boiler” and a clever rainwater collection system is used to “propagate its central vegetable garden” – there are said to be several vegetable and flower patches throughout the stunning gardens.
Tradition meets minimalism in the interior design of the main Llwynywermod farmhouse—rustic dark wood furniture that matches the property’s character features perfectly offsets the historic stone windows. Open fireplaces, a rich patterned rug in earth tones, tapestries, and ceramics create a warm and cosy effect in the countryside retreat.
Welsh-designed furniture is said to fill the house, and alongside beautifully crafted wooden chandeliers, it’s no surprise that King Charles has regularly spent so much time in this rural idyll.
Charles is said to have overseen much of the work done to Llwynywermod, which is located near the Brecon Beacons, himself, making sure that the home was made as sustainable as possible. He is reported to have even sourced local Welsh slate and lime plaster for the building materials, some of which were reused, and hired local labourers to complete the building works.
The King once referred to the home as a “godsend” but admitted that he felt he had bought it “40 years too late.”
“Rather, 40 years too late, probably. But it’s been a wonderful opportunity, at last, to have somewhere in Wales. I come whenever I can… I’ve always felt that it’s an important part of holding this particular title.
“It took me years to establish somewhere, it wasn’t through want of trying, but it was difficult to find the right place.
“I used to go to different other houses which was very kind of people to lend them for a week or something, but it wasn’t the same thing obviously until finally we found this, which has been a Godsend really,” Charles previously explained in 2021.
These days, the property is technically owned by Prince William, because it was purchased by the Duchy of Cornwall, which William inherited when Charles took the throne. Charles paid rent to his son for the use of the property since becoming King – but in June 2023 it was reported that a move William made left his father pretty “miffed”.
William informed his father he intended to rent out the main farmhouse as a holiday house too – the other cottages were already available for short-term holiday lets when Charles was away – so the King would have to remove his personal effects.
It was reported at the time, “The King was quite miffed, but that was the deal. It means he can continue to stay there, but he will pay rent to the Duchy, and the rest of the time it will be rented out. The King has agreed to pay for the topiary upkeep as he doesn’t want to see all the good work in the grounds go to waste.”
However, despite Llwynywermod now belonging to William as part of the Duchy of Cornwall – Charles still has his pick of privately owned properties to stay in throughout the UK, including his beloved home of Highgrove House in Gloucestershire and the Castle of Mey in Scotland which was left to him by his grandmother the Queen Mother.
