Prince William has been hit by a crisis along with millions of Brits which the UK has not seen for decades. After inheriting the title and estate of the Duchy of Cornwall, William is steward of more than 135,000 acres across 20 counties, including Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset. Parts of those four counties were declared in severe drought on Thursday (October 15).
Impact on the Duchy and water supplies
This will no doubt have an impact on William, who chairs the Prince's Council, a body overseeing how the land is managed. It is not known precisely how the declaration will affect the Duchy, but the Environment Agency (EA) has been told to prioritise the protection of public water supplies.
The EA has said it would expect reservoirs to be at 75% capacity at this time of year. But Wimbleball in Somerset, which provides for about 300,000 South West Water and Wessex Water customers in East and North Devon, Somerset and West Dorset, is 16% full. There are also concerns about several smaller reservoirs serving homes in Devon and Cornwall, according to the EA.
Government response and royal estate
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: "This level of drought is something we have not experienced for decades, so this Government is stepping up our support and planning. We are working closely with water companies to protect public supplies in the areas affected, and I’d continue to urge everyone to think about how they can use water wisely over the coming weeks."
The Duchy of Cornwall's vast land and property portfolio includes 67,000 acres of Dartmoor. It also incorporates forests, rivers, coastlines and housing developments, such as Poundbury in Dorset. It means William is among the largest private landowners in the UK, along with the National Trust and Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster.
Environmental focus and royal family
William took the reins of the Duchy of Cornwall when his father, King Charles, ascended the throne. When the Prince of Wales becomes king, the estate will pass to his eldest son, Prince George.
News of the drought will likely be of concern to William, who is known to care deeply about the environment. In 2021, the future king launched the Earthshot Prize, which seeks to identify and scale up solutions to address climate change and ecosystem collapse. Since he assumed the Duchy role, William has placed more emphasis on sustainable farming, nature restoration and the wellbeing of the rural community. This year, the Prince of Wales urged world leaders to speed up efforts to combat climate change and biodiversity loss.
William is joined in his concern for the environment by his wife, Princess Catherine, who on Friday championed the benefits of experiencing nature for wellbeing. The future queen said time outdoors has never been more important in this "digital age". Her comment came as she commissioned research into how nature can support the social and emotional development of youngsters.
In a video message recorded in Cornwall to mark the announcement, Kate said: "New scientific research increasingly shows just how important nature is for our psychological and physiological wellbeing. Nature is such an extraordinary environment for us all and, in this tech-driven, digital age, spending quality time outdoors has never been more important.
"This project is about exploring how nature, creativity and relationships can best support the healthy development of babies and young children. We believe that taking a whole-child approach is important, and nature becomes a wonderful place to explore how we can successfully nurture the social and emotional skills that underpin lifelong health and wellbeing. My hope is that through this practical, nature-based research, we can build supportive environments that help make nature more accessible, benefiting babies, young children and their families across the UK."
