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27
May
Why did the king come to Knaresborough?
The king’s appearance yesterday at Knaresborough Castle caused quite a stir, but after he’d left and the police presence had melted away, some were left wondering ‘what was all that about?’.
After all, he came with no fanfare – literal or figurative – and the visit was not publicised in the official royal diary of engagements. Many people didn’t even know he’d been here until after he’d gone.
One social media poster asked simply:
What was he here doing, as no one has mentioned why he popped in?
Knaresborough Castle.
The answer is that he was here primarily in his capacity as the Duke of Lancaster. Knaresborough Castle is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster, so in effect he was visiting one of his properties.
A spokesperson for the Duchy told us:
His Majesty was in Yorkshire undertaking public engagements and also, privately, being shown several components of the Duchy of Lancaster’s Estate.
As Duke of Lancaster, His Majesty takes a close interest in the Duchy’s Estate and Knaresborough Castle is one of the Duchy’s heritage assets which His Majesty much enjoyed visiting.
The timing of his visit could be accounted for by the fact that he was in the area anyway, first at York, and later visiting Harrogate Ladies’ College. The independent school is located on Harrogate’s Duchy estate, which remains part of the Duchy of Lancaster, and is due to change its name to Duchy College from September.
But there’s another reason why the castle visit will have been scheduled. Although the 14th-century fortress is owned by the Duchy, it is run by North Yorkshire Council on a lease that expires in 2032 – just six years from now.
The terms of the lease are up for discussion, and there’s even doubt that North Yorkshire Council will want to keep on running it. Looking after a crumbling ruin is an expensive business, and one the council might prefer to leave to another body. In extremis, it could even just hand back the keys and walk away.
King Charles III in Knaresborough. Credit: Knaresborough Photography
So it is very much in the duchy’s interest either to secure North Yorkshire Council’s commitment to the castle for another term, or to find an alternative operator, such as Knaresborough Town Council or English Heritage.
Which of these will be chosen is anyone’s guess, but as a lifelong enthusiast for history and architecture, the king is likely to have a preference, and this visit – which officials described as 'private' – may well have been simply a ‘recce’ to get a feel for the matter.
Kathy Allday did her part yesterday to apprise the king of the issues. The chair of the Knaresborough Museum Association was one of the organisers of a petition to save Knaresborough Castle from further decay. She launched the petition last year in the hope that 500 or more signatures would see it considered by North Yorkshire Council.
The sign on Knaresborough Castle's wall explains its ownership.
It has now accrued more than 4,500 physical and online signatures and will be presented to, and considered by, the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee next Thursday (June 4).
After meeting the king yesterday, Ms Allday told the Stray Ferret:
I thought the crowd waiting to see him was very quiet and thought someone should say something, so I shouted ‘God save the king’ – and his face lit up and he came over.
I told him about the petition and said there hadn’t been any proper maintenance of the castle stonework since 2019, and certainly none since North Yorkshire Council took over. He's clearly interested in what's going on.
So next week, we’ll be presenting our petition to the council and asking what plans they have for the castle, and whether they’re sustainable.
King Charles in Knaresborough. Photo: Jatinder Singh Kalsi.
Asked if she thought the king’s visit would make any difference to the Duchy of Lancaster’s plans for the castle, she said:
Yes, I think so, but I really don’t know what they’re going to do – I don’t think anyone does. North Yorkshire Council are financially strapped, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
The last time the Stray Ferret contacted the Duchy of Lancaster, in October, a spokesperson declined to comment on conversations with other parties, but said:
Please be assured that the duchy’s priority is to safeguard the castle’s future and to support its continued role at the heart of the community.
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