King Charles and Prince William may soon be staring down a multimillion-pound expense tied to their vast property holdings. A new investigation suggests many homes across their estates could require major work before tougher rental standards take effect.
The revelations carry added weight given both royals’ long-standing efforts to position environmental protection as a defining part of their public work.
4King Charles and Prince William could face a hefty bill to bring hundreds of rental homes on their private estates up to new energy-efficiency standards.
An investigation by The Guardian found that nearly nine in ten properties examined across the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster and the Sandringham estate currently have Energy Performance Certificate ratings of D or lower.
That could become a costly problem under government plans requiring privately rented homes to achieve an EPC rating of C or above by 2030. The current minimum is E. The outlet examined more than 700 domestic EPCs across the three royal estates and found 630 properties that would fall short of the proposed standard.
If that sample reflects the estates’ wider portfolios, more than 1,000 homes could require upgrades. With improvements potentially costing up to £10,000 ($13,600) per property, the combined bill could exceed $13.6 million.
Landlords who continue renting properties that fail to meet the new requirements could also face fines of up to £30,000 ($40,800) per home.
Prince William’s Royal Estate Puts His Environmental Record Under Scrutiny
The findings about William’s own property portfolio are particularly notable given that the future king has often put himself at the forefront of the royal family’s push for environmental action. In 2020, for instance, William founded the Earthshot Prize, an ambitious global initiative designed to find and fund solutions to some of the planet’s biggest environmental problems.
The project is built around five goals to be achieved by 2030, including protecting nature, cleaning the air and tackling climate change. Each year, five winners receive £1 million to help expand their work.
The Duchy of Cornwall, which William inherited when his father became king in 2022, has its own environmental ambitions. However, the latest findings suggest much of its existing rental housing still has considerable ground to make up as tougher efficiency standards approach.
King Charles Has Also Spent Decades Pushing Green Causes
4On his part, the King’s environmental advocacy stretches back more than half a century. In 1970, when he was 21, Charles publicly warned about pollution and the damage plastic waste could do to the environment. He later became closely associated with organic farming and sustainable agriculture, using Highgrove as a working example of those ideas.
By the 1990s, Charles was arguing that modern farming needed to account for its impact on soil, wildlife and future generations rather than simply maximize production.
His campaigning continued on a much larger stage. As Prince of Wales, Charles launched the Sustainable Markets Initiative and its Terra Carta framework, which called on businesses and investors to accelerate the transition toward a more sustainable economy.
Royal Estate Tenants Speak Out Over Cold Homes
4Behind the picturesque image of royal country living, some tenants have described a much harsher reality. One Duchy of Cornwall renter told The Guardian that his largely uninsulated home relies on coal-fired stoves for warmth. He called the property “archaic” and questioned whether the estate was willing to spend what was needed to modernize it.
Other tenants reportedly raised similar concerns about cold homes, difficult winters and repairs taking too long.
The Duchy acknowledged that many of its historic properties are in remote rural and island locations, making upgrades more challenging. It said another $68.2 million is planned to improve existing properties, while $15 million has already been spent on home improvements since 2022.
King Charles Keeps Finding New Ways To Cash In On Sandringham
4The scrutiny also comes as Charles continues to find new ways to generate income from Sandringham, his other privately owned estate.
Among the latest additions is its Victorian Water Tower, a four-story structure originally built in 1877 to supply the royal residence with fresh water. As The Blast reported, it has since been transformed into a luxury one-bedroom vacation rental, complete with a rooftop terrace offering panoramic views.
Depending on the season, the property is listed for between $1,000 and $4,000 per week. It joins other Sandringham buildings repurposed as income-generating accommodations, including Gardens House, once occupied by the estate’s head gardener, and a former hunting lodge known as The Folly.
