Greenpeace accuses royal property managers of prioritising profit over the environment
King Charles III’s Crown Estate is under mounting pressure as Greenpeace threatens legal action, accusing the royal property organisation of mismanaging its control over the seabed surrounding much of the UK.
The Crown Estate, which oversees assets worth around £15 billion, owns the seabed around England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This ownership gives it significant influence over the development of offshore wind farms, a critical part of the country’s renewable energy strategy.
According to Greenpeace, the Crown Estate has been restricting access to the seabed to maximise profits, rather than supporting rapid expansion of green energy projects. The environmental group argues that this approach undermines the UK’s transition to renewables and breaches the Estate’s legal duty to manage the seabed in the public interest.
Greenpeace is now calling for urgent reform, warning that if changes are not made, the issue could end up in court.
Will McCallum, co-executive director at Greenpeace UK, said the Crown Estate should “manage the seabed in the interest of the nation and the common good, not as an asset to be milked for profit and outrageous bonuses.”
He added, “We should leave no stone unturned in finding solutions to lower energy bills that are causing misery for millions of households.”
The dispute highlights the growing tension between environmental campaigners and the royal estate over how best to balance commercial success with climate responsibility.
