King Charles and Prince Williams raise ₹543 crore from charities and public services, the report said

The private estates of King Charles and Prince Williams generate millions in annual income from public services and charities such as the armed forces, the NHS and state schools, the BBC reported, citing a new documentary from Channel 4’s Dispatches and the Sunday Times.

According to the documentary, King Charles’ private estate, the Duchy of Lancaster, and Prince Williams’ estate in Cornwall are part of a deal worth almost £50 million (equivalent to ₹543 million).

However, the properties and their deals “comply with all relevant UK legislation and regulatory standards applicable to the range of business activities,” a spokesperson for the Duchy of Lancaster told the BBC.

About the Royals lease deals

According to the investigation, the Duchy of Lancaster has signed a deal worth £11.4 million to stock a new fleet of electric ambulances. The deal was completed with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust in London, the BBC reported.

The investigation also found that the Duchy of Cornwall had charged the navy more than £1 million since 2004 for building and operating jetties and mooring warships on the Cornish coast.

The six different leases awarded by the Duchy will generate around £600,000 in wealth over its lifetime.

About the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall

The Duchy of Lancaster is a property portfolio spread across England and Wales. The portfolio of land, real estate and assets is held by the trust for the sovereign. Like Lancaster, the Duchy of Cornwall is another portfolio worth more than £1 billion, providing an income for the heir to the throne, according to the BBC. Both estates are exempt from paying corporate tax or capital gains tax.