Duchy of Cornwall

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by cde

Charles to keep right hand man | the Daily Mail

From this article:

Once a partner of KPMG Peat Marwick, he spent eight years at Buckingham Palace — latterly as Keeper of the Privy Purse — where he overhauled outdated Spanish practices.

End of quote.

What are "Spanish practices"? My dictionary couldn't help....

[BellaFay]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

We do however have to bear in mind that this is an article by Kay and therefore may not be factually correct.

Precisely. Especially as the article claims that Peat was at Buckingham Palace for 8 years. He actually joined the Queen's household in 1992 and moved onto Prince Charles's in August 2002. By my accounting that's 10 years.

[Warren]

An article on the Duchy of Cornwall finances and investments.
The Telegraph, 4 August 2008

Duchy now worth £647 million
Prince Charles makes £43 million profit from property deals - Telegraph

• In the left-hand corner of this link is a simple-to-use currency converter for those who wish to change £ into their own currencies.

[Skydragon]

Prince Charles has benefited from a staggering £271million-worth of property deals in order to fund his household over the past seven years

Revealed: Prince Charles has earned £270m from property deals since 2001 | Mail Online

I thought you are supposed to make money from business interests, including property. Can you imagine the headline if they had lost money!

[milla Ca]

Prince of Wales in legal battle over Isle of Scilly homes
September 2

The Prince of Wales is facing an unprecedented legal challenge from householders on his Duchy of Cornwall estate who for almost 700 years have pledged allegiance to monarch and country.

Prince of Wales in legal battle over Isle of Scilly homes - Telegraph

[Incas]

Can someone elaborate on the "right to enfranchisement"?

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by Incas

Can someone elaborate on the "right to enfranchisement"?

It is the right to buy for long term tenants.

franchising (buying) the freehold of their leasehold house - Houses - Qualification and valuation for enfranchisement

That is why many land/property owners only allow short term leases. Ours are a maximum of 2 years, renewable

[Incas]

Thanks, Skydragon. Why would there be a law to force landowners to sell their property? Wouldn't this law discourage availability of rental property?

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by Incas

Thanks, Skydragon. Why would there be a law to force landowners to sell their property? Wouldn't this law discourage availability of rental property?

It was all part of the 1967 'right to buy', it seemed to be aimed at those who had rented the same property for 20 odd years, who, if they got a new landlord could at short notice, be removed and the property let to higher payers. They have had to tighten the law somewhat to try to avoid the speculators. (Now you can only apply after 5+ years and if you resell before a certain time, you must repay the discount received and/or offer your previous landlord 1st refusal).

It has meant a decrease in the properties available for long term lease, which means that even good tenants only get offered short term leases and to protect the landlord, they are replaced after a few years.

However, with the discounts that can be claimed by tenants seeking to buy, there are few reliable ways to deal with the problem. Some people complain about landowners using the properties as 'holiday homes', but it is one way of ensuring the properties are kept in good order, whilst returning a slight profit.

I found this article on the right to buy and Prince Charles.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...egal-case.html

[Jo of Palatine]

If I could wish for one sincere answer to a question I'm allowed to pose to a Royal, it would be a question to Charles and it would be this one: How do you feel on knowing that you probably will live to see your son become the one responsible for the Duchy of Cornwall?

Background is this: Charles build up today's enormous success of the Duchy of Cornwall and he is the only peer in the UK who according to the law has to pass it to his son while still alive. No other peer has to live through seeing what his heir is going to do to his inheritance. There is the case of the Duke of Marlborough, who according to what I've read, took care that his heir, who has been a drug addict, cannot destroy the Marlborough estate. But still it's the nature of the game that the duke won't have to see what's going to happen. As long as he is alive, his inheritance is save from his heir. But what about Charles? will William follow his father's course when it comes both to business and charities?

[muriel]

Thats a very valid question, and applies not just to the Duchy of Cornwall, but to a lot of the charitable interests, including the Princes Trust that William could potentially take over whilst his father is still alive. If I was in Charles' shoes, the answer would be a mixture of confidence and trepidation -but no more than any individual leaving an "empire" to his children. Why would it be any different (other than Charles will still be around?)?

[Jo of Palatine]

Because he will still be around and is forced to give up the Duchy.

[BellaFay]

'Thats a very valid question, and applies not just to the Duchy of Cornwall, but to a lot of the charitable interests, including the Princes Trust that William could potentially take over whilst his father is still alive.'

Prince Charles has already answered this query in his interview broadcast by the BBC in the 'Passionate Prince' documentary, where he said on being asked what would happen to his charities when he stopped being Prince: "It would be nice if some things are taken on by my sons, but it depends on their interests" In otherwards he accepts that it is up to them what to make of the PT charities.

[muriel]

Not sure how he has answered the query - all he said was that it would be nice if the boys took on some his charities, including the PT.

[Skydragon]

About 500,000 honey bees have been stolen from a West Lothian farm, sparking a police investigation.
Royal beekeeper, Murray McGregor, has lost eight hives worth £5,000 from Learilaw Farm near Broxburn

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Edinburgh, East and Fife | Honey farmer in 500,000 bee sting

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

About 500,000 honey bees have been stolen from a West Lothian farm, sparking a police investigation.
Royal beekeeper, Murray McGregor, has lost eight hives worth £5,000 from Learilaw Farm near Broxburn

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Edinburgh, East and Fife | Honey farmer in 500,000 bee sting

Isn't there a run on honey bees? They are dying out?

[Skydragon]

From the news, it would appear there are many hives being stolen and not just Bees, but Cattle, Sheep & Pigs.
Bee rustlers cash in on honey shortage - Nature, Environment - The Independent

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by Russophile

Isn't there a run on honey bees? They are dying out?

Someone heard you Russo and has written an explanatory article, -

Half a million honey bees bound for the Prince of Wales have been stolen from a royal beekeeper in Scotland

Prince Charles Stung By Spate Of Bee Thefts - Yahoo! News UK

[Skydragon]

In the week that saw the release of Charles Clover's documentary The End of the Line with its dire warning that our oceans will be exhausted of all seafood by 2048, a legal battle to establish who is responsible for the special area of conservation owned by the Prince of Wales's Duchy of Cornwall estate has taken a new and potentially embarrassing turn

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...ster-farm.html

[Lumutqueen]

How embarrasing for the duchy. A little unfortunate timeing with the release of that documentary.