The Prince of Wales celebrated St. Piran’s Day, the county’s national day
Credit: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
NEED TO KNOW
- Prince William headed to Cornwall to help celebrate the local culture on St. Piran’s Day
- In the area, the Prince of Wales is known as the Duke of Cornwall, a title he inherited when Queen Elizabeth died in Sept. 2022
- William helped make a local savory pasty at an organic farm and highlighted community resilience after a devastating storm
Prince William is spending the day in Cornwall, where he doesn't go by his Prince of Wales title.
William, 43, visited the county in the south-west tip of England on Thursday, March 5, where he's known as the Duke of Cornwall. He inherited the title when his father, King Charles, acceded to the throne in 2022 upon Queen Elizabeth's death. As head of the Duchy of Cornwall, William receives around $30.9 million a year, which provides an income to cover the official, charitable and private expenses of William, Kate Middleton and their three children.
William's visit to Cornwall was to highlight the resilience of the area in the wake of recent storms and came on a poignant date: St. Piran’s Day, the county’s holiday, which celebrates the heritage and culture of the Cornish people.
Credit: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
His first stop of the visit was to an organic farm, where local pasties are created in their award-winning bakery. At Gear Farm Pasty Company, close to the site of an Iron Age hill fort, they produce traditional Cornish pasties from home-grown ingredients. Prince William was shown around and met the staff before taking part in the pasty-making.
He was also taken to see the staff who farm the vegetables that go into the locally-created savory pastries.
The area was recently ravaged by storms in early January, cutting off electricity to 50,000 homes while 15,000 homes lost their water supply. Although they experienced water and power shortages at the farm, Prince William learned they got through the crisis by using a newly-installed generator, and the family continued baking and supporting local residents who were without essential services for several days.
Later in the day, Prince William headed to the fire station at Helston, where he thanked firefighters and emergency workers for all they did during Storm Goretti. With winds of up to 123 mph, it was one of the most severe storms to hit the region in recent years.
Prince William took part in a roundtable discussion about the storm response and how the emergency crews supported residents affected by fallen trees and the dangerous conditions.
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Since inheriting the Duchy of Cornwall, Prince William has made several stops in the estate, including an overnight trip in May 2024 when he visited the site of the Duchy of Cornwall’s innovative housing project aimed at addressing homelessness in Newquay.
According to the duchy's secretary, Will Bax, Prince William is "pretty demanding" in the role— in a "great" and "ambitious" way.
"He’s easy to follow because he’s got great conviction and personality, and he really wears his heart on his sleeve in terms of social interest and his desire to have a positive impact in the world," Bax told The Telegraph last year.
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