What tenants of the Duchy want to see from Prince William as the new Duke of Cornwall

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For more than half a century King Charles was at the helm of the Duchy of Cornwall, and now people living there say they hope Prince William will follow in his father's footsteps.

King Charles was the longest serving Duke of Cornwall in history and spent much of his time focusing on projects that had sustainability, conservation and architecture at its core.

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Charles tasting a mangetout grown by staff and volunteers at the Newquay Orchard growers patch Credit: Newquay Orchard

Seven years ago the then Prince of Wales gave Newquay Orchard the green light to use Duchy land next to the Nansledan development to create an educational urban community garden.

Luke Berkeley, the CEO of Newquay Orchard, says they could not exist without the support of the Duchy.

"To get land like this in the fastest growing town in Cornwall, that's absolutely unique. And it's not just the land they provided. It's financial support, moral support, project management support", he said.

Luke says he believes the new Duke of Cornwall will want to keep supporting the project because of the mental health support they provide for the community.

"We work a lot with people with mental health issues, that's obviously a key focal point in the Prince's charity work and so there still remains a lot of synergy there."

Newquay Orchard CEO Luke Berkeley said King Charles "spent way more time here than he should have done" a sign of a good visit Credit: ITV News

Prince William automatically became the 25th Duke of Cornwall following his father’s accession.

In the 2019 ITV documentary 'Inside the Duchy' the Prince promised to manage the historic Duchy of Cornwall estate much like his father has.

Speaking to behind the scenes camera crews Prince William said he wouldn't "rock the boat" with just "a few tweaks here and there".

Taunton Deane MP Rebecca Pow grew up on a Duchy farm near Bath, managed by her father and uncle, and now inherited by her brother and cousin who have taken on the current tenancy.

She says King Charles has "set a great path" with his strength as the Duke lies in having a "very hands on relationship" with his tenants.

"There will need to be real understanding there because in many rural communities, they're all facing the same issues as everybody else with cost of living or the farming fraternity facing the escalating costs of fuel, the fertilizer costs and all of that."

But she described it as an "exciting new era" with the new Duke at the helm.