The Sussexes already had a sizeable combined fortune when they married in 2018, before stepping back as senior royals and signing lucrative deals with the likes of Netflix and Spotify.
Prince William’s fortune eclipses that of the Sussexes despite their various commercial enterprises. (Image: Getty)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have amassed a huge fortune since stepping down as senior royals, but they’re nowhere near as flush as Prince William, reports suggest.
That’s despite handing back the public money used to renovate Frogmore Cottage, which they used as their UK base before relocating to California.
The pair have since signed lucrative media deals with the likes of Netflix and Spotify that have only added to their wealth.
Prince Harry is also understood to have received a £16 million advance for his bombshell memoir Spare, as part of a four-book deal worth £32 million which was signed in June 2021.
Harry and Meghan during their trip to Colombia last month. (Image: Getty)
Meghan, who rose to prominence starring in the popular legal drama Suits, was a woman of means before she married Harry in 2018, when she was estimated to be worth around £3.5m.
However, the Prince’s bank balance was considerably larger at the time, and he was said to be worth somewhere between $30 million (£22.4m) and $40 million (£29.8m).
The Duke was also getting generous regular income from the Duchy of Cornwall, but this reportedly ended after their sensational departure from frontline royal duties.
But a royal report from earlier this year suggests his older brother Prince William’s status as heir to the throne is seeing him eclipse their earnings, despite the Sussexes leaving with the stated aim of gaining financial independence.
In just his first full year as the heir apparent, The Prince of Wales has taken home £23.6 million, the Duchy of Cornwall’s Integrated Annual Report for the April 2023 to March 2024 fiscal year revealed, as per Time Magazine.
Prince William makes a pretty penny purely for being the heir apparent. (Image: Getty)
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As the Duke of Cornwall, the King’s eldest son generates annual income from the private Duchy of Cornwall estate, consisting of 52,264 hectares of land, most of which is in the south-west of England.
The Duchy’s portfolio comprises “arable and livestock farms, residential and commercial properties, as well as forests, rivers, quarries, and coastline”, according to the private estate’s website.
The estate was estimated to be worth over £1 billion in 2022, the Guardian reported. In this year’s financial report, Duchy secretary Alastair Martin said this year’s income fell slightly short of the 2022/2023 figure, which was around £24 million, Time reports.
The Duchy of Cornwall, which William inherited from King Charles when Queen Elizabeth died in 2022, was established by King Edward III in 1337 and it is intended to provide an income for the heir to the throne and fund charitable endeavours.
The estate is independent and not funded by the UK public.
Prince William is not required to pay income tax on the Duchy’s income, but reportedly pays voluntarily on the full amount after household costs, though these have not been made public.
