THERE are reports that King Charles III is ‘miffed’ at being told he would have to pay to stay at his Carmarthenshire home.
The king’s Duchy of Cornwall estate bought Llwynywermod near Llandovery for £1.2million in March 2007, some 40 years after the then-prince began his search for the a suitable place.
He spent time renovating the former coach house and farm buildings at the centre of the 192 acres of countryside. The work was carried out by Welsh craftsmen using local materials and traditional methods and with the help of architect Craig Hamilton.
Earlier in 2023, the King gave notice to the Duchy that he would be giving up the lease, which would expire later this summer, and this was confirmed by Buckingham Palace.
The Duchy of Cornwall was passed to Prince William, the new Prince of Wales, after Charles became king and since then, the King has been paying rent on Llwynywermod, according to The Telegraph.
The estate has royal connections long before the then-Prince of Wales purchased the lease, as it was originally owned by William Williams, a relation of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII.
As part of Prince William’s Duchy of Cornwall, he inherited a £23million-a-year income and takes charge of overseeing the management of the estate.
As part of this management, Prince William is opening up the home to renters and that he would not be renewing the King’s lease.
It means that he would have to pay to stay in the holiday home as a guest and would have to move his personal belongings out of the property.
The King will, reportedly, be paying for the upkeep of the topiary.
A royal source reportedly told the Mail on Sunday: “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.”
The Mail has stated that Llwynywermod will be available to hire as a holiday home from September and would be priced at around £2,400 a week.
The South Wales Guardian has contacted Kensington Palace for comment.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here