‘The King, The Prince & Their Secret Millions’ reveals how the royal family receives public money

• A new investigation claims that King Charles and Prince William are making millions from contracts their respective royal estates have with charities, public services and more.

• The Sunday Times and the current affairs program REFERENCES claimed that the King and Prince of Wales generate this income through the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall

• A five-month investigation revealed how the two duchies earn millions, with the Duchy of Lancaster commanding about $35 million for King Charles and the Duchy of Cornwall earning about $30 million for Prince William.

King Charles and Prince William They appear to be raking in millions in income from contracts their respective royal estates have with charities, public services and more, a new investigation claims.

On November 2,The Sunday Times and the actuality shows REFERENCES Britain’s Channel 4 revealed a joint investigation which claims that King Charles, 75, and Prince William, 42, generate this income through the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall. A REFERENCES titled program The King, Prince and Their Secret Millionsdebuted on the same day.

In statements shared with PEOPLE, spokespeople for the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall emphasized the private status of each property.

“The Duchy of Lancaster manages a wide range of land and real estate. It is self-funded and receives no public funding in relation to its activities,” said a spokesman for the Duchy of Lancaster. “It publishes an annual report and accounts which are independently audited and available to view on its website and which comply with all relevant UK legislation and regulatory standards applicable to its range of business activities.”

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Offering a similar comment, a spokesperson for the Duchy of Cornwall said: “The Duchy of Cornwall is a private property with a commercial imperative which we achieve alongside our commitment to restoring the natural environment and generating positive social impact for our communities”.

“Prince William became the Duke of Cornwall in September 2022 and has since embarked on an extensive transformation of the Duchy. This includes a significant investment to make property zero by the end of 2032, as well as establishing targeted mental health support for us. tenants and work with local partners to help tackle homelessness in Cornwall,” the spokesperson said.

The inquiry focused on the Duchy of Lancaster, a private estate of 44,748 acres of land in England and Wales held by King Charles as sovereign, and the Duchy of Cornwall, a private estate of nearly 130,000 acres of land in the south west of England, owned by the Prince. William as Prince of Wales. Both estates were established hundreds of years ago to provide income for the sovereign and the heir to the throne respectively.

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The Sunday Times said a five-month investigation revealed how the two duchies make millions by “burdening government departments, councils, businesses, mining companies and the general public with a range of commercial rents and feudal dues on land seized largely from medieval monarchs”.

“The files of the Duchy show that the royal family charge the right to cross the rivers; to unload goods ashore; to pass cables under their beaches; to manage schools and charities; and even dig graves. They earn income from toll bridges, ferries, sewers, churches. , town halls, pubs, distilleries, gas pipelines, boat moorings, opencast and underground mines, car parks, rental houses and wind turbines,” the press claimed.

The arrangement is seen as problematic because the royal family are supposed to “operate as commercial owners”, benefiting from a special Treasury deal which “exempts them from paying tax on their corporate profits”.

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Reported leases and contracts in the names of King Charles and Prince William reveal that they make money “by charging the army, navy, NHS (National Health Service), prison service and state schools to use their land, rivers and seashore”. The Sunday Times alleged.

The publication said the duchies earned about $65 million last year, with the Duchy of Lancaster leading about $35 million for the king and the Duchy of Cornwall earning about $30 million for William.

Through the Crown Lands Act 1702, King Charles receives revenue, not capital, from the Duchy of Lancaster, according to it. history. Meanwhile, his eldest son Prince William chooses to use the income from the Duchy of Cornwall to pay for his public, private and charitable activities, according to the duchy. FAQ.

During the summer, the Prince of Wales made waves by refusing to disclose how much he paid in taxes on 30 million dollars for the financial year 2023-2024 of the Duchy of Cornwall.