Prince William Accused of Being Two-Faced by Local Residents

Prince William visits Newquay Orchard as he makes his first Official Visit to Cornwall on November 24, 2022 — (Image credit: Hugh Hastings/Getty Images)

Prince William is reportedly being criticized by residents in a town set to be impacted by a new Duchy of Cornwall development. According to multiple reports, the Prince of Wales is "causing disruption" with his proposal, which will impact a large portion of land in the area.

It was previously reported that "a controversial 2,500-home development" in Faversham in Kent, England—on land owned by Prince William's Duchy of Cornwall—was "set to be approved." Now, individuals living near to the location of the proposed development are weighing in on the prince's plans.

One resident told GB News, "The decision wasn't much of a shock. Given the high profile of the applicant, who is going to deny a member of the Royal Family? So the plans were very much going to go ahead."

Article continues below

As for how the development will affect people living nearby, the resident shared, "It's going to have an impact on local people because we use these green spaces. Many people won't be able to walk their dogs in these areas, and it's the disruption it will cause, too."

Prince William, Prince of Wales speaks with Clarkson's Farm stars Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland during an event for sixty of the Duchy of Cornwall's next generation of farming tenants, on March 26, 2025 in Pensford, England — "It's going to have an impact on local people because we use these green spaces."

The resident compared the new development to King Charles's Poundbury, a town created by the royal, which has faced criticism over the years.

"It's quite notorious that the duchy has a very slow build-out rate," they explained. "So we're going to have at least 30 years of [construction]. It's going to affect tourism, which is key for the town of Faversham."

Prince William and Prince Charles — "Given the high profile of the applicant, who is going to deny a member of the Royal Family?"

According to the outlet, the resident said of the development, "It's outrageous!" They also called Prince William's decision to build on the land a "double standard" and a "contradiction," as he regularly promotes schemes calling for the protection of nature, GB News reported.

While being committed to the preservation of green spaces, Prince William has also pledged to work towards ending homelessness and "genuinely cares" about aiding unhoused individuals. It's fairly safe to assume that the new housing development might contribute to Prince William's mission to provide affordable housing for those who need it.

TOPICS

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.