British royal family finances are complex and often spark debate. And today, a new documentary has ignited significant controversy over the millions that King Charles and Prince William get from estates of land and property harking back to medieval times.
Investigative current affairs program Channel 4’s Dispatches has put the spotlight on the Duchy of Lancaster and Duchy of Cornwall. These estates, established in 1399 and 1337 respectively, exist to raise money for the sovereign and heir by giving them all the net profits. In the last financial year, the King was given £27.4 million from his Duchy and William received £23.6 million. These funds are considered to be private income and are in addition to the millions the royals get annually from British taxpayers.
However, Dispatches’ The King, The Prince and Their Secret Millions has sparked debate by investigating exactly what makes the royals these hefty “personal” sums. The program claims that the NHS, British Armed Forces, and charities are charged millions for use of properties and land on the estates. “Charles and William’s private estates claim they are not funded by the taxpayer,” Dispatches’ narrator says in the program, “But [Dartmoor Prison] is just one example of many where they are making an income from the taxpayer.”
In revelations that will be a blow to William as he campaigns to end homelessness and on the environment, there are claims that some Duchy of Cornwall tenants are living in homes with mould and that are failing to meeting minimum energy efficiency standards. The investigations were carried out alongside the Sunday Times and the Daily Mirror.
The reaction to the program has been widespread. “Whatever your views on the Royal Family, we can surely all agree that they shouldn’t be profiting from our NHS,” NHS Million, an unofficial NHS campaign run by NHS staff, posted on X. London Bureau Chief of German network ARD Annette Dittert posted, “This is quite something. The most comprehensive investigative research into Royal finances I’ve seen. Even the NHS is being charged by the Royals. If there is no discussion now about whether the monarchy can go on like this, then I don’t know when.”
And former BBC Royal Correspondent Peter Hunt posted, “William can singlehandedly make a significant impact on homelessness by accepting a fixed income in return for giving up his vast Duchy of Cornwall estate. Instead of tinkering at the edges, he’d become a consequential royal.”
The program claims that the Duchy of Lancaster is charging the NHS £11.4 million to store ambulances over 15 years and that the Duchy of Cornwall has a lucrative deal with the MOD to carry out army training in Dartmoor. “I see no reason why the Duchy couldn’t agree to let the MOD use the moor without charge…because it’s the training of our troops,” local Conservative Party councillor Philip Sanders told the program. He described the Duchy as a “very shrewd and commercial landlord.”
The fact that the Duchies do not pay corporation tax was also questioned, with Baroness Margaret Hodge telling the program, “What should happen is that the profits that the Duchies make out of it, they should be paying corporation tax on that, as would any other British company making money in this way.” The Duchies are exempt from capital gains tax and inheritance tax. However, the King and Prince of Wales pay income tax on the profits they receive.
Also featured in Dispatches was the mayor of Liverpool City, Steve Rotheram, who said he was surprised to discover that the Duchy of Lancaster owned shores of the River Mersey and takes a cut of the money made by the dock. “There is a much wider debate about whether Kings in the 21st Century should be getting money from land which was taken from people in feudal times,” he said. He has hopes to build a tidal project in the Mersey estuary but will currently have to pay the Duchy of Lancaster to make this possible. “If we are doing something which is of direct good to the public and to the environment, then I wouldn’t think there should be an additional charge levied against that that goes into the pockets of the King,” he said.
Town & Country reached out to the Duchy of Lancaster and Duchy of Cornwall for comment, and received the following responses:
A Duchy of Cornwall spokesperson said:
“The Duchy of Cornwall is 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.”
“Prince William became Duke of Cornwall in September 2022 and since then has committed to an expansive transformation of the Duchy. This includes 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.”
A spokesperson from the Duchy of Lancaster said:
“The Duchy of Lancaster manages a broad range of land and property assets. It is 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 UK legislation and regulatory standards applicable to its range of business activities.”
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