Prince William, Kate escape new strict ban, while King Charles faces £1,000 fine

Prince William and Kate Middleton have dodged a strict new hosepipe ban coming into force next week in parts of England, but King Charles won’t be so lucky.

While the royal family typically follows the same rules imposed on the public, the hosepipe ban set to begin on July 22, Prince George’s birthday, will affect King Charles directly due to his private Highgrove Estate in Gloucestershire falling within the restricted zone.

Thames Water announced that from next Tuesday, a hosepipe ban will be in place across Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and parts of Berkshire, as exceptionally dry weather strains water resources across England.

Among those affected will be King Charles’s beloved Gloucestershire estate, Highgrove, and Queen Camilla’s private Wiltshire home, Ray Mill House. 

The monarch, known for his passion for gardening, will likely find the new restrictions, which prohibit watering gardens, filling paddling pools, or washing cars, particularly unwelcome.

Residents breaking the ban could face fines of up to £1,000.

Yet Prince William and Princess Kate, despite living in Berkshire, will not fall under the ban’s remit. 

Their Adelaide Cottage home lies just outside the affected postcode areas, exempting them from the new water restrictions.

Meanwhile, locals near Highgrove have already started adjusting their routines. Wiltshire resident Joanne Macleod told Hello! magazine: “We have always had three water barrels to collect any rain that comes in, so will continue to use that reserved water in watering cans until it runs out. We’re simply conserving as much water as possible during this time.”

The UK’s largest water supplier, Thames Water, is urging the public to conserve water as much as possible as the drought continues, with officials emphasizing that the restrictions are needed to protect dwindling supplies.

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