A version of this story appeared in the August 11 edition of CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on Britain’s royal family. Sign up here.
Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle or Balmoral might be the first places that come to mind when you think of British royal family homes.
However, there is another royal dwelling, situated on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park in the southwestern Welsh county of Carmarthenshire, that might be worth turning your attention to: King Charles III’s former home in Llwynywermod.
It’s owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. Fun fact: The Duchy’s estate isn’t restricted to the geographical borders of the Cornwall region and in fact covers more than 52,000 hectares of land.
Llwynywermod could soon become available to rent, according to British newspaper The Telegraph, which reported in June that the King had informed the Duchy that he will not renew the property’s lease, which is expected to expire this summer.
The decision is reportedly due to the King’s belief that it’s “unlikely” he will be able to use the property in the same way as he did before while Prince of Wales. That title, you’ll remember, was passed down to his son, Prince William, on Charles’s coronation in May.
Two other barn conversions in Llwynywermod are already available for short holiday stays. The three-bedroom North Range and two-bedroom West Range properties form part of the courtyard adjoining the main farmhouse where the royals used to stay. Therefore, it is likely the royal lodging will also be let out commercially.
It could be a much more enticing home to stay in – or live in, if you so wish – having been the King’s sanctuary and event space for many years.
It’s where the then-prince retreated after his father, Prince Philip, died in 2021, according to British media reports at the time. It was there where he reportedly found space to “contemplate the future of the royal family.”
Charles routinely spent time there during annual engagements in Wales, including in July 2019 when he and his wife hosted an evening of music and drama at the property.
William Williams, a relative of the ill-fated Tudor Queen Anne Boleyn, was the original owner of the estate in the 13th to 14th century, according to the BBC. The estate passed through several hands before being purchased for the now-King in 2007 for £1.2 million ($1.5 million).
Those who share the same environmental values as the King will be pleased to know the properties were renovated in 2008 with sustainable techniques and local materials. A wood chip boiler and electricity from a renewable source power the heating and hot water in both the estate’s holiday cottages, according to the Duchy.
The three-bedroom royal lodging is set in the grounds of a ruined mansion, and on renovation, the then-prince added his own touch to the home by placing climbing plants, including Albertine roses, jasmine and honeysuckle, up the walls, according to the BBC.
Llwynywermod can be found in the small and welcomingly picturesque village of Myddfai, which has beautiful landscapes, hills, rivers, red kite birds and a 12th-century church. The wider Carmarthenshire area has stunning castles, plush gardens, Wales’ largest beach and market towns full of local produce.
