King Charles and Prince William under fire for ‘secret millions’

King Charles and Prince William are in trouble after an investigation revealed the monarch and his heir have made millions from charities and public services.

The Sunday times and a television program titled “The King, The Prince & Their Secret Millions” claim that the 75-year-old and the 42-year-old are quietly raking in money through their royal estates, the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall. .

“This could be the Watergate for the royal family, especially Charles and William,” royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital. “The televised scandal report (claims) that…millions have not been publicly investigated.”

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“This goes against the liability issues stated by the new Labor government, who said they would crack down on companies that were not transparent about their financial affairs.”

“This will not go down well with the British people,” Pelham Turner warned. “Many are suffering enormous costs for food and essential supplies.”

“The royal family has not broken any law; instead, it operates within an established, if unusual, system,” Jonathan Sacerdoti, a British broadcaster and columnist, told Fox News Digital. “However, public perception may change unfavorably as the duchies benefit from exemptions not available to ordinary citizens. Targeted or not, this reflects the increasing expectation of transparency from all public figures, including the royal family.”

A spokesperson for Kensington Palace, which provides the offices the Prince and Princess of Walesdid not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the Duchy of Lancaster was due to comment on the investigation.

“This could become the Watergate for the royal family, especially Charles and William. The televised scandal report (claims) that…millions have not been publicly scrutinized. … This will not go down well with the British people. Many are suffering enormous costs for food and essential supplies.”

– Ian Pelham Turner, royal expert

The Duchy of Lancaster is a private estate of 44,748 hectares in England and Wales, owned by the King as sovereign.

“The Duchy of Lancaster controls a wide range of land and property assets,” a spokesperson explained to Fox News Digital.

“It is self-financing and receives no public funds in connection with its activities,” the spokesperson said. “It publishes an annual report and accounts that are independently audited and available for viewing on its website and that comply with all relevant UK legislation and regulatory standards applicable to its range of business activities.”

The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate of almost 130,000 hectares in south-west England, owned by William as Prince of Wales. A spokesperson also emphasized the private status to Fox News Digital.

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“The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate with a commercial need that we achieve alongside our commitment to restoring the natural environment and generating positive social impact for our communities,” the spokesperson said.

“Prince William became Duke of Cornwall in September 2022 and has since committed to a comprehensive 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 services for our tenants and working with local partners to help tackle homelessness in Cornwall.”

The investigation shows that the private estates have raked in millions from government agencies including the National Health Service, state-funded schools and the British Armed Forces, the New York Post reported.

According to the newspaper, the program also claimed that William’s estate received a $78,000 payment from St John’s Ambulance, a charity of which the King, who is battling cancer, is a patron.

It noted that the king’s estate was accused of stocking a new fleet of electric ambulances in its warehouse in exchange for $14.7 million over 15 years. It also alleged that William’s estate has charged the Royal Navy $1.3 million since 2004 to build jetties and dock warships in Cornwall.

The Sunday Times claimed that a five-month investigation found that the Duchies make millions by “charging government departments, councils, corporations, mining companies and the general public through a range of commercial rents and feudal levies on land that was largely confiscated taken by medieval monarchs. “

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“The Duchy Files reveal that the royal family is demanding the right to cross rivers, load freight to the coast, run cables under their beaches, run schools and charities and even dig graves,” the paper claimed. “They earn income from toll bridges, ferries, sewers, churches, village halls, pubs, distilleries, gas pipelines, boat berths, surface and underground mines, car parks, rental properties and wind turbines.”

People magazine noted that the arrangement is problematic because the royals would operate as “commercial landlords” while benefiting from a special agreement “that exempts them from paying tax on their business profits.”

The investigation also reported on a $48 million deal to lease Dartmoor Prison to the Department of Justice.

The documentary claimed that both estates made approximately $65 million in deals last year alone, the New York Post reported.

“What these outlets did not cover was that the royal family voluntarily pays income tax on the surplus.” British royals expert Hilary Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital.

Sacerdoti told Fox News Digital that the revelations add “renewed scrutiny of the royal family’s unique financial privileges.”

“It challenges the careful balance they strike between inherited privilege and public service,” Sacerdoti explains. ‘Yet it seems unlikely that the structure of the duchies – long-standing and legally complex – will undergo drastic changes.’

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Eyes are particularly on William after he recently starred in a two-part docuseries, ‘Prince William: We Can End Homelessness’, on ITV. In June 2023, the father of three launched a five-year project to end homelessness in Britain

He kicked off the initiative by visiting pilot projects that have each received up to $637,000 in grants from the Royal Foundation, the charity that supports the work of William and his wife Kate Middleton.

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The Prince of Wales also raised eyebrows over the summer when he refused to reveal how much he paid in taxes for the Duchy of Cornwall’s 2023-2024 financial year. The Integrated Annual Report of the Duchy of Cornwall, published in July showed he earned $30 million in his first full year as Duke of Cornwall.

According to People magazine, that amount covered the official, charitable and private expenses of the prince, his wife and their children.

The outlet also reported that the Duchy of Lancaster earned around $35 million for the king.

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The Prince of Wales inherited his estate, which is worth more than $1 billion, when his father came to the throne. Queen Elizabeth II, England’s longest reigning monarchdied in September 2022 at the age of 96.

Both estates were established hundreds of years ago to provide income for both the sovereign and the heir apparent, People magazine reported.

“While greater transparency could address public concerns, the likelihood of substantive reform is minimal,” Sacerdoti said. “Both Charles and William can look to refine their public messages, emphasizing charitable efforts and the long-term management of these estates. (But) this underlines a recurring challenge: reconciling ancient privileges with modern expectations.”

“By dealing thoughtfully with this tension, the monarchy can strengthen its relevance in a changing Britain, even as traditional structures remain largely intact,” he said.

Sacerdoti noted that the scandal will likely test the king to see if he can modernize the monarchy’s image without “rocking its foundations.”

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“For William it points to the complexity of inheriting an institution where public service and privilege are intertwined, a challenge he will face throughout his future reign,” he said. tradition with the values ​​of a new generation.”

“Although Charles and William voluntarily pay income tax on the dukedoms’ income, these tax exemptions and legal protections illustrate the complex, privileged status of their estates,” Sacerdoti added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.