Sheds, cakes and photos of me – Prince William’s Country Life, digested by John Crace

Saintly heir to the throne breaks his hectic schedule for a magazine lowdown on life in the country

Country Life: Guest Edited by HRH The Prince of Wales

Front Cover: Photo of me outdoors. I love the country, me.

Pages 2 – 60: Lots of photos of garden sheds. Some at the very affordable price of £30m. Er … apparently these are houses for sale. We must never forget that poverty is often hidden in plain sight in the countryside.

Page 62: Yet another photo of me outdoors. This time I’m holding an umbrella.

“Some of my earliest memories are of me playing in the treehouse at Highgrove. At first, it was just a very plain structure. Now it is a huge palace made of ancient oak with its own servants’ quarters. A reminder that nature is always evolving and that what matters is not so much what we have now but what comes next. I care deeply about the world I am bequeathing to my children. Though as I do not have to pay inheritance tax, it will be pretty much everything that was left to me. What I love most is the sense of space. My father has even built his own village for Uncle Andrew on the Sandringham Estate as he can’t be seen outdoors. We call it NonceLand.”

Page 76: A photo of me sitting in the garden with David Attenborough. A rare interview with the Prince of Wales to discuss the Earthshot prize, which he founded.

“It is no exaggeration to say that without the Earthshot prize the planet would be a parched, barren landscape by now. First of all, your highness, may I say, on behalf of Country Life readers all around the home counties, how grateful we are for everything you have done. Perhaps you could tell us a bit more about your magnificent Earthshot prize.” Goes on like this for another 1,500 words.

Page 90. No photo of me. Letters to the editor.

“Dear Sir, I live in Cornwall and rent a property from the duchy. Part of the ceiling has fallen in and the place is in urgent need of renovation. I have tried complaining but my emails are constantly ignored. Please can you help, yours, James Tenant.”

Shut up and quit moaning. Please don’t write in again.

Page 110. Photo of me. My Favourite Painting by Me

The Fox in the Snow. My mother loved this painting she saw on a Christmas card once. Every time I look at it, it reminds me of a fox in the snow.

Appreciation by our art expert, Charlotte RA. “This was by far the most important Christmas card released by WH Smith in the early 90s. The flash of orange is highly suggestive of a fox.”

Page 122. Lots of photos of Prince William and his family outdoors. A special feature.

“No one has a busier life than the Prince of Wales. So when he has some downtime from his hectic, whirlwind schedule, there is nothing he likes better than to recentre himself by spending time with his family in the countryside. Apart from George, who he has sent to boarding school. ‘You can have too much of your children,’ he laughs winningly.”

Page 128. No photo of me. Surely some mistake. A feature on rural mental health.

“No one has done more to raise the awareness of rural people with mental health problems than Saint William.

“‘To be honest,’ says Brian Farmer, ‘I was never aware I had something called mental health until Prince William pointed it out to me. Now I’ve got so much of it, I can barely get out of bed in the morning. But knowing that the prince doesn’t have to pay any tax on his income really cheers me up’.”

Page 151. My Favourite View by HRH The Prince of Wales.

“What I love most is waking up and looking out of the window in Wales and knowing that basically everything is more or less mine. The outdoors makes me feel at one with myself. Gives me a sense of calm. Apart from in the Cotswolds. That’s been ruined ever since my idiot brother and his family came back to live there. You wouldn’t believe what has happened to house prices for the people who have to buy their own homes.”

Page 163. Photo of me with my Country Champions

Tom Orde-Powlett, 9th Baron Bolton. No one has done more to renovate Bolton Castle than Tom. There is nothing better than a day out shooting for snipe with Tom and then going back to his castle for tea and crumpets. If only more of us were passing the winter months like this.

Page 189. Photo of Catherine. Special interview with Catherine by Robert Macfarlane.

“Robert: In the liminal spaces between the Land and the Underland, I am aware of the great privilege I am doing the Princess of Wales by letting me interview her.

Catherine: I feel very connected to Nature.

Robert: These connections run beneath the Earth, connecting the present day to the distant mist-shrouded past of Robert the Confessor.

Catherine: Nature makes me feel connected to nature.

Robert: Hark! The ancient song of the linnet.

Catherine: I am feeling very connected to Nature. It’s the Circle of Life from the Lion King.

William: Did someone mention the word King?”

Goes on like this for another 3,000 words.

Page 213: Photo of me with Unai Emery, manager of Aston Villa, the Football Association team that William supports. A rare interview with Unai.

“To be honest,’ says Unai, candidly, “I don’t know why I bother. I could do so much better leaving it all to William. He knows so much more about football than I do. He phones me every week to discuss what formation we should play and what my starting XI should be. It’s just a shame that he’s so busy doing his important work of shaking hands with people that he can’t be more involved. William is amazing.”

Page 227. My favourite cake by HRH The Prince of Wales

Millionaire’s shortbread. Or Billionaire’s shortbread as Kate and I like to call it. Inflation these days! We have such a laugh when we’re together in the country.

Page 231: Rare interview with Orla, Prince William’s cocker spaniel

“It’s tough being a royal dog,” says Orla. ‘All the other dogs always think you’re a bit stuck up. But really I’m just an ordinary pedigree like any other. There’s nothing I like more than running through muddy fields in the countryside, picking up dead pheasants. Then home to a nice open fire in the drawing room’.”

Page 257. A message from the editor-in-chief, Mark Hedges

“Can I just say a huge thank you from all the team to HRH The Prince of Wales for making time in his hectic schedule for giving us such a fascinating insight into his life in the country. Oh, is that an OBE I see before me. Sire, you do me too great an honour. We are not worthy.”