Monarch Responds to Criticism with Sustainability Initiative After Damaging Revelations
King Charles appears to be taking action to repair his reputation following sharp criticism over environmental failings linked to his private estate.
The monarch, who has long championed sustainability, faced backlash after a documentary accused him and Prince William of overseeing estates engaged in multiple environmental violations. The investigation suggested that, despite their public advocacy for green initiatives, their estates lacked adequate energy efficiency measures and generated profits from public service bodies and charities.
In an apparent bid to counteract the negative publicity, Charles has partnered with eco-designers Vin + Omi to create an innovative, leather-like material made from recycled waste. The King has provided hundreds of discarded milk cartons from his Sandringham estate to be repurposed for use in the designers’ upcoming fashion show.
“It’s like a spongy leather — it’s really soft, and it looks and feels like leather,” Omi told People Magazine ahead of London Fashion Week. “It took us about a year and a half, and it’s the first fabric like it in the world!”
The Channel 4 Dispatches documentary, The King, The Prince & Their Secret Millions, alleged that both Charles and William benefited financially from their estates while failing to uphold the environmental standards they publicly endorse.
Following the exposé, both the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall issued statements defending their operations.
“The Duchy of Lancaster manages a broad range of land and property assets. It is self-financing and does not receive any public funds in connection with its activities,” Charles’ estate stated.
Meanwhile, William’s Duchy of Cornwall asserted that it operates as a private estate with commercial objectives, balancing financial responsibilities with a commitment to environmental restoration and social impact.
