Prince Charles recalls buying a house in Wales in 2007; says it was '40 years too late'

Prince of Charles is extremely happy about owning a house in Wales and loves spending time there, but regrets that he did not do it sooner.

The 72-year-old is the longest-serving Prince of Wales, a title traditionally and ceremonially granted to the heir apparent of the British throne, having received it when he was only 10-years-old in July 1958. He was crowned for the position by his mother Queen Elizabeth II, in an investiture held at the Welsh government owned Caernarfon Castle in 1969.

However, he did not own a home in the country until 2007, which was 49 years after he was named Prince of Wales and 38 years after he was crowned. Llwynywermod, a farmhouse near Llandovery in Carmarthenshire, was bought by the Duchy of Cornwall and then refurbished using local materials and the skills of Welsh craftsmen and women.

Charles stays at the three-bedroom house with his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, during their annual visits and other royal visits. The courtyard range adjoining the main house is let as holiday accommodations when the Prince is not in residence.

In an interview with the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage on BBC Radio 4, Charles said that he enjoys spending time at the house, particularly during the winter, but he feels he was 40 years late in establishing a home there. "I now, at last, have somewhere in Wales to base myself, from time to time. Rather 40 years too late, probably. It's been a wonderful opportunity, at last, to have somewhere in Wales. I come whenever I can. It's an important part of holding this particular title," he said.

The British royal said that it took him years to establish himself somewhere in Wales, not because he did not want to try but because it was difficult to find the right place. He explained that he would go to various houses and would have people lend them to him for a week or so, but it didn't feel right until he visited Llwynywermod.

The father-of-two described the house as a "Godsend," noting that it is incredibly cosy and features Welsh objects and quilts that he has managed to collect over the years. It is also not far from Llanymddyfri, an old market town in the valley that he loves to explore.

"And I stump about in the Brecon Beacons and explore, which is magic, and fight my way through large numbers of sheep all over the place. It is very special because it's more of a cottage. For me, the joy has been in getting to know the local people—some wonderful characters in this part of the world. Who are very special, I think. The grass grows quite well here, as you can imagine, because it rains a lot of the time. I quite like rain, I don't mind rain at all," he added.

In the 13th or 14th centuries, Llwynywermod used to be owned by William Williams, a relative of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII who was later beheaded for treason. In 1815, George Griffies-Williams was created a baronet, and Llwynywermod became the seat of the Griffies-Williams baronets, a line that came to an end in 1877. The residence currently used by Prince Charles used to be just the coach house to the now ruined 13-bedroom country house that stood nearby.