King to give up lease on Welsh country estate
King Charles is giving up the lease on his Welsh estate.
Llwynywermod estate, near Llandovery in Carmarthenshire, was purchased for the then-Prince Charles by The Duchy of Cornwall, external in 2007 for £1.2m
The three-bedroom property, a former coach house, is set in the grounds of a ruined mansion and overlooks an 18th Century country park including 40 acres of woodland.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the King had given notice to the Duchy earlier this year that he planned to give up the lease when it ends this summer.
Llwynywermod has served as the home of the King and Queen Camilla during visits to Wales, including while on annual summer tours of the nation.
Following renovations in 2008, old agricultural buildings centred on a courtyard were converted into self-catering units.
According to the Telegraph, external, the King has been paying rent on Llwynywermod since the Duchy of Cornwall was passed to Prince William after his father's coronation.
The grounds include self-catering units converted from old agricultural buildings
Quoting royal sources, the newspaper said the King remained “passionate” about Wales but had decided to give up the property because it was “unlikely” he would be able to use it in the same way as when he was Prince of Wales.
Prior to taking the throne, the King was regularly seen walking in the area, with he and the Queen described as "active patrons" in the village.
The property underwent a renovation after its purchase in 2007
The original owner of Llwynywermod estate, in the 13th or 14th Century, was William Williams who was related to Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII and the mother of Elizabeth I.
The old house and its disintegrating concrete and corrugated iron farm buildings were restored by Welsh craftsmen using traditional methods and materials from the area
The then-Prince Charles planted climbers including Albertine roses, jasmine and honeysuckle up the walls.
Six of the English field maples which formed the avenue of trees at William and Kate's 2011 wedding were later rehomed at the Welsh retreat.
The idea was the King's and, with William and Kate's approval, he set them in the soil at the front of the house, along a rustic wooden fence.
-bbc
