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The story begins 14 years ago when, against all advice and common sense, King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, threw caution to the wind and bought a rundown estate in the most deprived part of the UK. He now admits it was ‘an appalling risk’ - but as this intimate insight reveals, it was a risk worth taking. The King’s vision and unswerving dedication has brought the Estate back to life while instilling hope and pride to the surrounding area through heritage-led regeneration and sustainability.
The story begins 14 years ago when, against all advice and common sense, King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, threw caution to the wind and bought a rundown estate in the most deprived part of the UK. He now admits it was ‘an appalling risk’ - but as this intimate insight reveals, it was a risk worth taking. The King’s vision and unswerving dedication has brought the Estate back to life while instilling hope and pride to the surrounding area through heritage-led regeneration and sustainability.
The green economy has always been front and centre in Charles’ thinking. An ardent advocate of organic farming long before it was fashionable, his fears for the environment were mercilessly mocked as mere preoccupations of the privileged. But it seems the new Kings long-held ecological concerns were valid after all, and the world is now waking up to his wisdom and relevance.
His main objective when buying the house was to create an infrastructure which would act as a catalyst for the socio-economic, cultural, and educational regeneration of the most deprived area in Britain. It was always about people, people without any solid foundations or future hope.
Though the Royal intervention was never about things, he also saved the Estate’s priceless fixtures and furniture collections; furnishings, already in trucks bound for a London auction house, were diverted back to Scotland following a last-minute phone call. Now the world’s largest and most complete collection of Chippendale furniture, amongst other precious artefacts, is safely in situ for all to see and enjoy.
This is a modern-day fairy tale featuring the King with the Midas touch, showing Charles as one of the most forward-thinking pioneers of our time, a close-up and personal portrait reflecting a side of him that few have seen before.
As His Majesty ascends to the British throne, he prepares to re- invent the role of the British monarch by involving himself in the lives of people who can benefit from his vision - and his clout. His work at Dumfries House embodies the all-new House of Charles III. This was filmed in the years running up to King Charles’ accession to the crown.
Broadcast on ITV 30th November 2022 at 9PM.
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