King Charles has reached a major milestone and it has nothing to do with his reign and everything to do with the passion project brand he set up in 1990. Duchy Organic was established when he was then Prince of Wales to champion organic farming.
Now he has celebrated the brand raising over £50M (approx. $67M) from global sales of Waitrose Duchy Organic products since 2009. The King met representatives and beneficiaries from a range of charities on 30th September at a Clarence House reception to celebrate this sizeable contribution to good causes.
These funds have meant the King Charles III Charitable Fund could award over 1,600 grants across 20 countries, supporting more than 400,000 people each year.
The money has gone to support projects protecting British landscapes, providing opportunities for young people and humanitarian concerns. The first product from the Duchy Organic was the oaten biscuit originally made from wheats and oats grown organically on the Home Farm at Highgrove, King Charles’s Gloucestershire residence.
They've come so far since then and His Majesty cut a rather cool, casual figure at the reception, donning a pair of on-trend sunglasses and merrily waving a knife around after cutting a celebratory cake. He met with organic farmers and suppliers, as well as posing with a prize-winning cow. All in a day's work for the King!
Speaking about the money milestone, King Charles III Charitable Fund Chair of Trustees, Sir Ian Cheshire declared, "We are proud to mark the major milestone of £50m raised for good causes across the UK and globally."
"This has enabled us to fund innovative and life-changing projects with The King’s Trust and The King’s Foundation as well as thousands of other charitable initiatives," he continued. "Together we are advancing sustainability, expanding access to education and opportunity, and helping to build resilient, thriving communities."
King Charles’s focus on sustainability and work towards promoting fairer food and produce practises dates back decades. He first warned about the dangerous effects of pollution on the environment as far back as 1970, when he was just 21-years-old.
As well as founding the Duchy Organic, His Majesty has served as Patron of the Soil Association since 1999, a charity which works to promote sustainable food and farming.
The Royal Countryside Fund was also set up by His Majesty in 2010 and exists to improve the prospects of family farm businesses and the quality of rural life. It has given away over £10M (approximately $13.5M) to more than 350 projects.
