The Duchy of Cornwall is facing criticism over its plans to sell off land holdings, which has caused distress among some tenant farmers.
The estate, which manages land inherited by the Prince in 2022, intends to raise £500m through the disposal of property and farm holdings across 19 counties. The Duchy, which was established in 1337, covers approximately 51,800 hectares (128,000 acres).
The program aims to redirect funds toward community investment, affordable housing, and environmental initiatives. The Prince is selling off a portion of the land to focus on five geographic “heartlands” in the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Dartmoor, Bath, and Kennington, south London.
The sell-off has centered on the Bradninch estate in Devon, where tenants of nine farms have reported “enormous mental and emotional distress” regarding their future. According to the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA), the sales strategy could affect up to 40 farm holdings across Devon, Cornwall, Herefordshire, and the Midlands.
Former GP Mary Ryan, a local Lib Dem councillor who has lived near the Bradninch estate for around 35 years, has accused the Prince of “hypocrisy” for promising to focus on homelessness and mental health causes in urban areas while potentially causing distress to rural families.
Following reports of the distress caused to families, the Duchy of Cornwall issued an apology for its handling of the Bradninch estate sales. Rural director Matthew Morris visited the site to meet with tenants, acknowledging that he had underestimated the complexity of disposing of such a large estate. Sources indicate the King, who visited the Bradninch estate regularly while Prince of Wales, is also dismayed by the sale.
Despite these conciliatory steps, one tenant expressed skepticism, stating that “talk is cheap” and that the “proof will be in the pudding.” A spokesperson for the Duchy said that eight out of nine farming tenants at Bradninch are actively exploring the purchase of their land, with residential tenants also considering options.
The sale has prompted questions regarding whether the Duke of Cornwall should be liable for capital gains tax.
Tax expert Dan Neidle argued that there is “no legal basis” for an exemption, asserting that if HM Revenue and Customs wrote to the Duke of Cornwall saying he was liable, he would have to pay it because it’s essential to the tax and the legal system that everyone is treated the same.
