Western Morning News (Saturday)
Cash for royal couples as Duchy spend rises to £5.6m
THE Duchy of Cornwall helped to pay for trips and expenses for Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, in their final year as senior royals, latest accounts show.
Funding for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – William and Kate – was also covered by the £5.6 million bill met by the Prince of Wales, the figures reveal.
The Duchy, which includes large land holdings, farms and other businesses across the South West as well as property in London and elsewhere, made £22.2 million last year.
Clarence House’s annual review revealed that the prince’s bill for the Sussexes’ and the Cambridges’ activities, plus other expenditure including Charles’s capital expenditure and transfer to reserves in 2019/2020, was £5.607 million in 2019-2020, up 11% or £556,000 from £5.051 million in 20182019.
The report provides no detailed breakdown of the funding for the activities of the Sussexes and the Cambridges.
Royal aides declined to comment on the reason for the increase, saying the money came from Charles’s private Duchy income.
The accounts run from April 2019 to the end of March 2020, just after the UK went into lockdown and Charles contracted coronavirus.
Harry and Meghan, who quit the monarchy on March 31, featured in the video footage accompanying the annual review in images of Archie’s christening, including the official family group portrait and a black and white shot of Charles standing next to Harry as he holds his baby son.
After the film examined Charles’s engagements commemorating global conflicts, the voiceover said,: “In happier moments, the year also saw different members of the family coming together to mark key dates in the calendar and to welcome new additions to the family as the prince became a grandfather for the fourth time.”
Harry and Meghan received financial support from Charles when they started their new life in the US.
A spokeswoman said at the time the couple were paying for their own security and Charles was making private financial contributions, but not necessarily from his Duchy income.
However, Harry and Meghan became financially independent this summer after signing a multimillionpound broadcasting deal.
Charles’s non-official expenditure for himself and his family from his Duchy money was £3.2 million, up £45,000.
The money covers the salary costs of personal secretaries, chefs, valets, farm, garden and stable staff.
The cost of the prince’s London office and official residence fell from £668,000 to £521,000.
A source said the drop was due to lower costs on the repairs and refurbishments of Clarence House.