Key keywords: Prince William, Duchy of Cornwall, 20% duchy property sale, UK affordable housing initiative, nature restoration projects, royal estate public benefit, UK sustainable development, net zero climate targets Buckingham Palace confirmed on Wednesday that Prince William, the Prince of Wales, has formally approved the sale of 20% of non-core assets held by the Duchy of Cornwall, the 700-year-old royal estate passed to him following King Charles III’s accession to the throne in 2022. The sale, which is expected to raise approximately £1.2 billion in total, is earmarked to fund two core priority areas set out by William earlier this year: expanding affordable housing supply across the UK, and delivering large-scale nature recovery projects aligned with the UK’s net zero climate targets. Of the total proceeds, 70% (around £840 million) will be allocated to the affordable housing programme, which will deliver more than 2,500 new homes across regions where the Duchy holds land, including Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, and parts of Wales. At least 40% of these homes will be reserved for key workers including nurses, teachers, emergency service staff, and low-income families on local authority housing waiting lists, addressing the severe housing crisis that has seen average house prices in the southwest of England rise 18% over the past five years, putting home ownership out of reach for 62% of local residents under the age of 35. The remaining 30% of funds (£360 million) will be invested in nature restoration projects, including 12,000 hectares of rewilding land, peatland restoration across 3,000 hectares of upland sites, and the creation of 50 new community green spaces accessible to local residents. These projects are expected to sequester an estimated 2.3 million tonnes of carbon over the next 20 years, while supporting the recovery of at-risk species including the Cornish chough, water voles, and native butterfly populations. Duchy of Cornwall CEO Alastair Martin noted that the assets being sold are low-yield, peripheral agricultural and unused commercial plots that contribute less than 3% of the Duchy’s annual rental income, meaning the sale will not impact the estate’s long-term financial stability or the regular funding provided to the Prince of Wales for official duties. The decision has been widely welcomed by local government leaders across the southwest, with Cornwall Council leader Linda Taylor describing the move as “a game-changer for local communities who have been crying out for more affordable housing for decades.”