Prince William, Aston Villa fan, visits Nansledan

Prince William visited Nansledan yesterday after a hugely successful night in Istanbul.

Thursday evening was a one to remember for those on and off the pitch. Aston Villa, the professional football team, celebrated their triumph as they were crowned Europa League champions. Prince William (43) was in attendance, in a private capacity, as an avid Villa fan. The heir to the throne was joined by Ben ‘Dawesey’ Dawes, Edward van Cutsem, a son of Hugh and Emilie van Cutsem, with whom William grew up, as well as Thomas van Straubenzee.

There was an absolute joy on the Prince’s face as he watched his all-time ‘favourite’ team win such a coveted prize — the first ‘taste of European silverware’ in 44 years, as William put it, who also happens to celebrate his 44th birthday next month.

In a personal message to social media that night, Prince William said in part,

What a night. Thank you to Turkey for hosting a great final. Incredible atmosphere and great sportsmanship from Freiburg. Enjoy the parade, Birmingham. UTV W

Yesterday was an early morning for the Prince of Wales, as he undertook a two-day visit to Cornwall as Duke of Cornwall. The traditional hereditary title is reserved for the heir to the throne, which was first created in the 1330s as a source of income for Edward Woodstock, known as ‘the Black Prince’, son of Edward III.

On Thursday, the Duke of Cornwall visited Nansledan, an ambitious and sustainable urban extension to Newquay in Cornwall, being developed by the Duchy.

His Royal Highness explored plans for Nansledan’s forthcoming Market Street development — one of the first new high streets of its kind to be built in over a century — representing a key milestone in Nansledan’s continued growth, which already includes around 900 homes, a primary school, offices, a community centre and more than 40 local businesses, alongside extensive green spaces such as wildflower meadows, parkland, orchards, wetlands, ponds, community allotments, play areas as well as a skatepark.

During the visit, Prince William also made a stop at Nansledan’s first Build-to-Rent homes to meet residents and take part in a walkabout with the local community.

On his final engagement of the day, the Duke of Cornwall then visited a new Duchy of Cornwall housing development in Nansledan, marking the final stages of a project that includes homes purpose-built to address homelessness that have been delivered in partnership with the Cornish charity St Petrocs, The Royal Foundation’s Homewards programme, as well as the Duke of Cornwall’s Charitable Foundation. The initiative demonstrates a collaborative approach to creating lasting housing solutions for homeless people in Cornwall.

St Petrocs, which commemorates its 40th anniversary this year, began working with the Duke and Duchy of Cornwall in 2023. The partnership will deliver 24 low-carbon, high-quality homes with wrap-around support for local people experiencing homelessness.

The first phase of the project is nearing completion and will soon provide high-quality temporary accommodation designed to feel like home, with the first residents expected to move in this summer. St Petrocs will support residents in building strong community connections and accessing training and employment opportunities through local partners, including the neighbouring community hub, Newquay Orchard. This support focuses on helping people move into secure, permanent accommodation.

This project harnesses guidance from the Duke of Cornwall himself and The Royal Foundation’s Homewards programme — a flagship initiative created by William to demonstrate that it is possible to make homelessness rare, brief and unrepeated.

As an Activator Partner, the Duchy of Cornwall plays a pivotal role in driving this work forward, providing a powerful model that can be replicated and can be scaled nationally. The project demonstrates the impact of collaboration across the public, private, and voluntary sectors and highlights the vital role we all have to play in preventing homelessness in our communities.