The Duke of Cambridge has said he's "not going to rock the boat," when he inherits the Duchy of Cornwall estate from his father in a new ITV documentary to mark Prince Charles' 50th year in charge. In the first episode of the two-part series (airing at 9pm on Thursday 24 October) Prince Charles, 70, talks about tutoring his eldest son for his future role and said he has had time to prepare himself for his upcoming responsibilities.
"He's quite lucky because I found myself there at 21. I had a bit of baptism of fire really," Charles said. "He goes and visits different parts of the Duchy of Cornwall, and so he is learning, I hope, as time goes by."
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© Photo: ITVThe Prince on ITV's Prince Charles: Inside The Duchy of Cornwall
Prince William, 37, appears briefly in the episode and said he has started to think about how he will inherit the Duchy, saying "Rest assured I'm not going to rock the boat. I'll do much the same as what my father's doing." In the past year, the Duke has attended a number of private meetings in relation to the Duchy, as well as visiting some of its properties in Somerset.
The documentary will offer a behind the scenes glimpse into the Duchy of Cornwall, which covers more than 130,00 acres across 23 counties. The Duchy estate was established by Edward III to provide a private income for his son and heir to the throne Edward, later known as the Black Prince, and its purpose remains the same today.
The 60 minute episode will also show Charles living up to his reputation as a hands on royal – pruning, hedgelaying and celebrating his 70th birthday with tenants. Clarence House recently announced that he and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall will undertake a tour of New Zealand between Sunday 17 and Saturday 23 November, just days after the Prince celebrates his 71st birthday on 14 November.
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