Duchy of Cornwall tenants may have to buy their farms or leave as Prince William plans £500m sell-off

On the Bradninch estate in Devon, near Cullompton, nine tenant farms are at the center of a conversation that has already left some families struggling. Their landlord, the Duchy of Cornwall, is selling land, and the farmers have been asked whether they can buy the holdings they have worked, in some cases for generations.

Bradninch is the visible start of a wider plan. The Prince of Wales intends to sell up to 20% of the Duchy over ten years and raise £500m. The Duchy, established in 1337, covers about 51,800 hectares (128,000 acres) across 19 counties. It says the money will go into local communities, affordable housing and environmental projects.

The Tenant Farmers Association says the sales programme has now spread beyond Bradninch to the Duloe Estate in Cornwall and to individual holdings elsewhere in Cornwall, Herefordshire and the Midlands. By its count, up to 40 farm holdings across those areas could be affected. The Duchy's spokeswoman said it could not confirm the total number of tenants involved.

The Duchy currently has around 700 agricultural lettings, including about 300 whole farm holdings, each made up of a farmhouse, land and buildings. Tenants hold a mix of contracts, from time-limited to lifelong, and some can pass the tenancy down through the family.

Mary Ryan, a former GP and local Liberal Democrat councillor, has lived near the Bradninch estate for about 35 years and is supporting the farmers. She says some of them are experiencing enormous mental and emotional distress, and that many fear they cannot afford to buy. She said the Duchy had reportedly apologised to tenants last month, but called the handling of the process pretty dire.

George Dunn, chief executive of the TFA, said his organisation is in deep discussions with the Duchy. He said poor communication had left tenants facing prolonged uncertainty over valuations, timing and the options open to them. Once a family is told its long-term relationship with the Duchy may change permanently, he said, that uncertainty lives with them 24/7. He welcomed the Duchy's assurance that nobody will be made homeless, but noted that not every tenant will be able or want to buy, and that fair alternatives must be explored for those who cannot afford ownership.

Matthew Morris, the Duchy's rural director, told the BBC he was listening to feedback on how the sales were being handled, and that tenants were being offered support and mental health advice. He said there were no cliff edges in terms of immediate evictions and that the Duchy was working with each tenant toward a suitable outcome. The aim, he said, is mainly to sell to the farmers themselves, preserving continuity where possible. He described it as a generational aspiration for many, quoting farmers who told him their grandfather and father had wanted to buy the farm and that now the chance had come. He acknowledged "a little bit of turbulence", said the Duchy remains committed to agriculture, and added that there may well be other disposals in the future.

A Duchy spokeswoman said it is engaging with people directly and taking a careful, case-by-case approach. What to watch now is what happens for tenants who cannot afford to buy, and whether the alternatives the TFA is pressing for materialise.