Prince William's Decision Forces King Charles III to Abandon Welsh Home

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Moving on. King Charles III will not be renewing the lease on Llwynywermod, his home in Carmarthenshire, Wales.

The 74-year-old monarch has been making visits to the Llwynywermod property since 2007, after it was purchased by the Duchy of Cornwall for £1.2 million. The property, which encompasses 192 acres of land and is situated near the town of Llandovery, has served as a residence for the monarch during his visits to the country. However, following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, Charles ascended to the throne and his eldest son, Prince William, took over his previous title as Prince of Wales, as well as the Duchy of Cornwall. As a result, Charles has been paying rent on the property, but has now decided not to renew the lease when it expires later this summer, according to The Telegraph.

Charles' new role as king means that he will likely be spending less time in Wales, as William takes on the duties that Charles previously held as Prince of Wales. People reports that when William and Kate visit Wales, they have chosen to stay in local hotels and inns instead of at Llwynywermod.

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During their April visit to the South Wales Valleys, the couple had already put their plan into action by staying at the Duffryn Mawr guest house and dining at The Bluebell Country Inn, a charming bed-and-breakfast nestled in the town of Crickhowell. Although Prince William won't be utilizing Llwynywermod personally, he has a sentimental connection to the property as six English field maples that lined the avenue of trees at his 2011 wedding to Kate were replanted in front of the house by Charles.

Speculation about Charles’ intentions to streamline the monarchy has been ongoing for months, and the recent news of Llwynywermod only adds to this. According to a report by the Evening Standard in March, the king plans to do away with subsidized rent and housing for working members of the royal family.

In March, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were asked to leave their residence at Frogmore Cottage by Prince Charles. A spokesperson for the couple's Archewell foundation confirmed this news.

Reportedly, Prince Charles informed his youngest son, who is 38 years old, that the property was required for Prince Andrew, who has been residing at the Royal Lodge since 2004. An insider exclusively revealed in March that this news was a significant blow and shock for the couple, particularly given the timing, shortly after the announcement of Harry's memoir, Spare. The informant added that supporters of the Sussexes believed that Charles could have kept the property available for them if he had chosen to do so, but it appeared evident that he did not wish to.

According to the source, Charles made the decision for the royal family to reclaim Frogmore for practical reasons, as Harry and Meghan moved to California after stepping down as senior working royals in 2020. The insider stated that the official explanation will be that the Sussexes are rarely in the home and it requires a full-time resident to occupy and maintain it.