King Charles buys £3m house with private funds in move to shield Queen Camilla amid his wife’s ‘anxiety’
King Charles has purchased a £3million property next to Queen Camilla’s beloved Wiltshire retreat to prevent it from becoming a wedding venue.
The intervention was made to protect Camilla’s privacy and security at Raymill, her country home.
The neighbouring property, The Old Mill, stands just 30ft from the Queen’s boundary fence.
For 30 years, Raymill has been Camilla’s cherished sanctuary away from the public glare and she refused to part with the Wiltshire bolthole after marrying Charles.
A royal source revealed that a proposal to sell The Old Mill next door and turn it into a wedding venue caused her “great anxiety”.
Security concerns grew as the potential buyer planned to host “dozens of wedding guests carousing every weekend” near Camilla’s property.
Last month, King Charles stepped in to block the sale and purchase The Old Mill with his private funds.
A friend of Camilla’s said the action was “imperative” for her protection and privacy.
The previous owner had already converted a former garage into a £160-a-night holiday apartment called Pear Tree Loft.
This rental, advertised on Airbnb, was just 200ft from Camilla’s front door.
Tourists from Europe, the US and Australia gained the opportunity to glimpse the Queen and use her private access road.
The Old Mill will now be installed with a “security-vetted tenant” who will ensure it is put to “appropriate” use.
The King’s purchase is described as a “sound financial investment” while maintaining the Queen’s privacy.
A royal source confirmed no public funds were used for the acquisition.
They told the Mail: “The new arrangement is a pragmatic solution, being both a sound financial investment and a way of maintaining Her Majesty’s privacy, protection and continued enjoyment of her much-loved home.
“I know how grateful and relieved she is, not least given all the additional stresses and anxieties of the past year.”
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Camilla’s friends have said the Queen “can be herself” at Raymill.
One friend told the Mail: “She has her horses, she walks her dogs and she loves spending time with her family.”
The friend added: “This business with her neighbour was frankly the last thing she needed.”