Prince William spent the day in Cornwall, where he doesn’t use his Prince of Wales title.
William, 43, visited the county on Thursday, March 5, where he is known as the Duke of Cornwall — a title he inherited when his father, King Charles, became monarch in 2022 after Queen Elizabeth’s death. As head of the Duchy of Cornwall, William receives about $30.9 million a year, which funds the official, charitable and private expenses of William, Kate Middleton and their three children.
His visit highlighted the region’s resilience following recent storms and coincided with St. Piran’s Day, the county’s holiday celebrating Cornish heritage and culture. His first stop was an organic farm where local pasties are made in an award‑winning bakery. At Gear Farm Pasty Company, near an Iron Age hill fort, traditional Cornish pasties are produced using home‑grown ingredients. Prince William toured the site, met staff and joined in the pasty‑making.
He also met the workers who grow the vegetables used in the locally made savory pastries.
The area was hit hard by storms in early January, leaving 50,000 homes without electricity and 15,000 without water. Although the farm experienced outages, William learned they managed with a newly installed generator and continued baking while supporting local residents who lacked essential services for several days.
Later, Prince William visited the fire station in Helston, where he thanked firefighters and emergency workers for their efforts during Storm Goretti. With winds reaching 123 mph, it was one of the most severe storms to strike the region in recent years. William joined a roundtable discussion about the storm response and how emergency crews assisted residents affected by fallen trees and dangerous conditions.
Since inheriting the Duchy of Cornwall, William has made several visits to the estate, including an overnight trip in May 2024 to see the Duchy’s innovative housing project in Newquay aimed at addressing homelessness.
According to the duchy’s secretary, Will Bax, Prince William is “pretty demanding” in the role — in a “great” and “ambitious” way. “He’s easy to follow because he has great conviction and personality, and he really wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to social issues and his desire to make a positive impact in the world,” Bax told The Telegraph last year.
