King Charles and Prince William's private estates 'make millions off public institutions'

King Charles and Prince William’s private estates have reportedly received millions of pounds from public institutions including the NHS, state schools and the armed forces.

Investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Sunday Times He examined the land and estates owned by the two royal families through the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall.

The Duchy of Lancaster is a portfolio of land, estates and assets held in trust for the Sovereign across England and Wales. This area includes significant urban developments, historic buildings, farmland and areas of spectacular natural beauty dating back to the 14th century.

The Duchy of Cornwall, worth more than £1bn, is a similar portfolio that generates income for the heir to the throne.

Both properties are exempt from corporate income tax or capital gains tax.

Last year the Duchy of Lancaster allegedly struck a deal to store a new fleet of electric ambulances owned by London’s Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust in one of the estate’s warehouses for 15 years at a cost of £11.4 million.

The investigation also heard that the Duchy of Cornwall had charged the navy more than £1 million since 2004 to build and operate piers and moored warships on the Cornish coastline.

The investigation also revealed he would have earned around £600,000 over the life of six different leases with local state schools.

It was also reported that the duchy had struck a £37m deal to lease Dartmoor Prison to the Ministry of Justice and had struck a deal with the Ministry of Defense to allow the armed forces to train on Dartmoor land.

The investigation, carried out in conjunction with The Mirror newspaper, includes further allegations that private residential properties leased by both duchies do not meet minimum energy efficiency requirements.

The investigation found that although it has been illegal for landlords to rent properties rated below E since 2020, around 14% of homes rented by the Duchy of Cornwall and 13% by the Duchy of Lancaster had a performance rating of F or G. .

last year The king wanted profit The Crown Estate’s £1bn-a-year wind farm deal will be used for the “wider public benefit”.

But the investigation also found that the Duchy of Lancaster would still make at least £28 million from wind farms due to its feudal right to charge for cables passing through lands belonging to it.

KingAnnual income from the Duchy of Lancaster has risen by 5% to £27.4 million in 2023/24, according to accounts published by the estate in July.

Prince of Wales More than £23.6 million in annual private income was generated from the Duchy of Cornwall last year, according to accounts.

Neither are legally required to pay income tax, but both royal families have offered to do so.

Income from both duchies is separate from the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant, which pays for the monarch’s official duties.

Responding to the allegations, a spokesperson for the Duchy of Lancaster said: “The Duchy of Lancaster operates as a commercial company managing a wide range of land and property assets in England and Wales. It complies with all relevant UK legislation and regulatory standards applicable to its territory. It operates a wide range of business activities.” .

“The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is responsible to the Sovereign for the administration of the Duchy. However, he delegates certain functions to the Duchy Council, particularly those relating to asset management.

“While His Majesty the King is closely involved in the work of the Duchy, the day-to-day management of the portfolio is the responsibility of the Council and management team.

“The Duchy has implemented a number of significant environmental improvements in recent years, resulting in a significant increase in the number of A+, A and B EPC ratings awarded to our properties as a result of refurbishment or restoration work.

“Currently, more than 87% of the Duchy’s leased properties are rated E or above. The remainder are either awaiting planned remediation works or are exempt under UK legislation.”

A spokesperson for the Duchy of Cornwall said: “The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate with a commercial imperative, alongside our commitment to restoring the natural environment and creating positive social impact for our communities.

“Prince William became the Duke of Cornwall in September 2022 and has since been committed to a comprehensive transformation of the duchy.

“This includes significant investment to bring the property to net zero by the end of 2032, as well as creating targeted mental health support for our tenants and working with local partners to help tackle homelessness in Cornwall.”

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