The New Prince and Princess of Wales Just Inherited a Secret Estate in, Appropriately, Wales

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published 2 October 2022

The new Prince and Princess of Wales have inherited a so-called “secret” home tucked away in rural Wales after the Queen’s death last month—(try spelling this without double and triple checking) Llwynywermod Estate on the outskirts of Myddfai, where King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort have enjoyed spending time together in the past.

The tranquil farmhouse, according to The Mirror, is situated in a corner of Carmarthenshire, a sprawling, ancient property bought by Charles 15 years ago. Charles—who was Prince of Wales for over 50 years—would stay at Llwynywermod Estate as he undertook duties in Wales.

Now that William is Prince of Wales—effective as of September 9, the day after Her late Majesty passed away peacefully at Balmoral at age 96—it’s his now. As the eldest surviving son of the ruling monarch, William now owns the Duchy of Cornwall, a private estate established in 1337 by Edward III to provide independence to his son and heir, Prince Edward. Kensington Palace has confirmed that everything that forms part of the Duchy Estate belongs to the Duchy of Cornwall, including Llwynywermod Estate, bought by the Duchy of Cornwall in 2007 for a reported cost of 1.2 million pounds.

The estate is made up of three cottages, a barn, and a main house, surrounded by 192 acres of Welsh countryside. Charles spent up to 40 years searching for the perfect country retreat before settling on Llwynywermod, The Mirror reports. He often took breaks there, and parts of the estate can actually be booked by the public.

Locals say Charles would attend church services on Sunday mornings with minimal fanfare, donated prizes for local raffles, and even officially opened the new village hall.

Now the estate belongs to William and Kate, who have a deep and meaningful history in Wales themselves. The couple lived for three years in Anglesey in north Wales when William was stationed in the area as a Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopter pilot between 2010 and 2013—important years for William and Kate, as that is when they got engaged in 2010, got married in 2011, and welcomed their first child, Prince George, in 2013.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.

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