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Prince Charles has been dealt a blow caused by his future role as king. Unfortunately, the Prince has not been able to commit to extending the lease on Home Farm – his 1,000-acre plot near his country home Highgrove in Gloucestershire due to his future job.

The lease is due to run out in Spring 2021, and Clarence House has confirmed he will not be taking the land on again.

A Clarence House spokesman told PA: “The Prince of Wales will not be renewing his lease on Home Farm but will continue to farm organically at Sandringham.”

Prince Charles would have extended it by a further 20 years – but as he is expected to become king at some point in the next two decades, it is unlikely he will still be living at Highgrove long enough to see the lease out.

It’s likely to be upsetting for the Queen’s eldest son as this is where he began his Duchy Original food boxes – now sold as Waitrose Duchy Originals

Set up by Prince Charles in 1990, the brand remains a separate entity to the Duchy of Cornwall despite the similarities in name.

The brand also sells to small independent shops and is wide-ranging in its offering, selling everything from luxury Cornish pasties to regional ales, cheeses and organic meat.

Products are sourced from a wide range of UK farms and also from across the globe, including fruits that are flown in from as far away as New Zealand.

A new, non-royal buyer has reportedly taken on the land, and will continue to supply for Waitrose.

Charles converted the farm into a completely organic farming system in 1985 and has kept the land ever since.

The farm does not use pesticides and all planting is done in time with the lunar cycle.

Sustainable and organic farming is a cause close to the prince’s heart

Charles previously told National Geographic: “In farming, as in gardening, I happen to believe that if you treat the land with love and respect then it will repay you in kind.”

However, Prince Charles need not lament too much over the loss, and last year his similar farm at Dumfries House in Scotland was certified organic.

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Many farmers initially criticised the prince’s methods, which eschewed modern techniques.

Since then, however, a number of farms have switched to organic agriculture and visit Duchy Home Farm to see its methods.

Prince Charles has also warned that the “very future of humanity” may depend on organic farming.

Speaking as he celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Soil Association in London, the heir to the throne insisted that eco-friendly practices, which had once seemed so controversial, were now backed by “sound science”.

Many farmers initially criticised the prince’s methods, which eschewed modern techniques.

Since then, however, a number of farms have switched to organic agriculture and visit Duchy Home Farm to see its methods.

Prince Charles has also warned that the “very future of humanity” may depend on organic farming.

Speaking as he celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Soil Association in London, the heir to the throne insisted that eco-friendly practices, which had once seemed so controversial, were now backed by “sound science”.

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