King Charles and Prince William 'receive millions' from charities, public service—report
King Charles and Prince William allegedly make millions from their contracts with charities, public services, and more—something seen as problematic because they purportedly operate as commercial landlords who also benefit from a special treasury agreement "exempting them from paying tax on their corporate profits."
A joint investigation of British publication The Sunday Times and television show Dispatches showed that Charles, 75, and William, 42, generate the revenue through the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, respectively.
The Duchy of Lancaster is a private estate of 44,748 acres of land in England and Wales, while the Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate of almost 130,000 acres of land in southwest England. These estates were established hundreds of years ago to provide income for the sovereign and the heir to the throne, respectively.
In its five-month investigation, the Times said the two duchies are making millions by "charging government departments, councils, businesses, mining companies, and the general public via a series of commercial rents and feudal levies on land largely seized by medieval monarchs."
The outlet claimed the royals charge for the right to cross rivers, offload cargo onto the shore, run cables under their beaches, operate schools and charities, and even dig graves.
"They earn revenue from toll bridges, ferries, sewage pipes, churches, village halls, pubs, distilleries, gas pipelines, boat moorings, opencast and underground mines, car parks, rental homes and wind turbines," it added.
The Times, citing reported leases and contracts in Charles and William's names, said they're making money "by charging the army, the navy, the NHS [National Health Service], the prison service and state schools to use their land, rivers, and seashores."
Through those, the duchies reportedly earned about $65 million (P3.79 billion) last year, with the Duchy of Lancaster making $35 million (P2.04 billion) for Charles and the Duchy of Cornwall making $30 million (P1.75 billion) for William.
A spokesperson for the Duchy of Lancaster told PEOPLE Magazine that while it "manages a broad range of land and property assets," it's "self-financing and does not receive any public funds in connection with its activities."
"It publishes an Annual Report and Accounts that is independently audited and available to view on its website and complies with all relevant U.K. legislation and regulatory standards applicable to its range of business activities," the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for the Duchy of Cornwall, meanwhile, told the media outlet it's "a private estate with a commercial imperative which we achieve alongside our commitment to restoring the natural environment and generating positive social impact for our communities."
It pointed out how William became Duke of Cornwall in September 2022 and has since "committed to an expansive transformation of the Duchy," including "a significant investment to make the estate net zero by the end of 2032, as well as establishing targeted mental health support for our tenants and working with local partners to help tackle homelessness in Cornwall."
According to the Duchy of Lancaster's history, the sovereign must receive income, not capital, from the Duchy under the Crown Lands Act 1702.
As for the Duchy of Cornwall, its website's frequently asked questions page states that the revenues from the estate are passed to the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cornwall, who chooses to use them to fund his public, charitable, and private activities.
William refused to disclose how much he paid in taxes when he got $30 million for the Duchy of Cornwall's 2023 to 2024 financial year.