Prince William to offer personal glimpse in Country Life guest edit

He recently met with Country Life’s editor-in-chief, Mark Hedges, and managing editor Paula Minchin at Windsor to review the final draft and layout. The special edition will feature William on the cover and will include details about his personal interests, such as enjoying a pint of cider with ice at a local pub.

Mark Hedges previously described William as a “passionate countryman” upon the announcement of his guest editorship in June. Following his father’s accession to the throne, William inherited the Duchy of Cornwall, a landed estate encompassing 128,000 acres across 19 counties. He also maintains a countryside residence, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson stated, “The Prince of Wales has a long-standing passion for the countryside and the vital role it plays in the nation’s life, culture and wellbeing. His guest editorship of Country Life reflects a desire to celebrate the people, places and innovative stewardship helping to secure its future for generations to come.”

William joins his father, stepmother, and aunt in taking on the guest editor role for Country Life. Queen Camilla’s 2022 guest edition, released to celebrate her 75th birthday, became the publication’s best-selling issue ever. The cover photo, taken by the then-Princess of Wales, featured the Duchess of Cornwall. The King himself previously guest-edited the magazine twice, in 2013 and 2018. The Princess Royal also contributed a guest edition in 2020 for her 70th birthday.

During a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Prince William revealed a childhood ambition to become either a police officer or a DJ, recalling, “I did want to be a policeman when I was younger, I did think I would be a good policeman. And then I went through a phase where I wanted to be a DJ, which didn’t go very well, and I came up with a name, I was called DJ Xara with an X, it wasn’t good.”