Prince William has to travel away from his wife, Kate Middleton, and their children “every four to six” weeks as part of his responsibilities as the owner of the Duchy of Cornwall.
The Prince of Wales, 44, inherited the land and property empire in the southwest of England when his father, King Charles, ascended the throne in 2022.
The estate spans over 128,000 acres across 19 counties and generates a private income for the Waleses of more than £20 million (AU $38 million) per year.
As the Duke of Cornwall, William is responsible for managing the historic estate and making decisions about its future.
According to The Telegraph, the future King takes secret trips to parts of the Duchy “once every four to six weeks”.
During these visits, William meets local families and staff working on the Duchy’s farms and offices, where he “shakes hands and quizzes them on what he can do to help”.
Royal editor Hannah Furness said these monthly trips are usually uber private and “kept quiet” by the locals.
“His visits are usually private, rarely making the Court Circular and kept quiet by loyal locals who are used to royal comings and goings,” she wrote.
While William attends to business on the estate, Princess Kate, 44, and their children Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, eight, typically remain at their home at Forest Lodge in Windsor.
Since the Prince of Wales inherited the Duchy of Cornwall after his father’s coronation, he has vowed to transform it into a force for good.
Last month, the royal announced he would sell off 20 per cent of Duchy property over 10 years and invest £500 million (AU $956 million) in local communities, including affordable housing and environmental projects.
“We’re not the traditional landowner… we want to be more than that,” William said.
“There is so much good we can do. I’m trying to make sure I’m prioritising stuff that’s going to make people’s lives, living in those areas, better.”
There are plans for the Duchy to provide an extra 12,000 homes by 2040, with around a third of them to be affordable.
Around £20 million (AU $38 million) will also be invested in environmental schemes, including an expansion of solar panels to generate power for 40,000 homes.
It comes after the aforementioned publication revealed William pays up to £7 million (AU $13 million) a year in tax on income from the estate, putting him as one of the top taxpayers in the UK.
Amid a push for greater transparency on royal finances, this week King Charles will become the first monarch to reveal his personal tax bill.
Buckingham Palace said the decision is to “encourage wider understanding of our accountability” as the Firm continues to “modernise and evolve”.
The UK monarch is not required to pay taxes, but the King voluntarily pays income and capital gains tax on personal income and private assets.