A new report alleges one unlikely person’s actions could have added to the unparalleled rift between Prince William and Prince Harry: King Charles.
How King Charles financially supported his sons and their wives was a sticking point
As the United Kingdom’s ruler, King Charles has access to the Sovereign Grant, which is taxpayer money. That money is used for expenses related to official royal duties. But the vast majority is spent on the upkeep of properties and staff costs, per the BBC.
The king also receives money from a private estate called the Duchy of Lancaster, passed down from monarch to monarch. Also, whoever has the title of Duchy of Cornwall can access its profits.
However, according to Daniela Elser of News.com.au, there remains a disparity in how Charles provides for his sons and their wives with that money. “The funding part of the equation – as in how much dough then-Prince, now King Charles, provided for his sons and their wives and who got what and how much – is an often neglected dimension to the long and sorry story of how things went so very spectacularly wrong,” she writes.
“For one thing; Charles was not exactly thrilled to ‘feed’ another mouth circa 2018. Harry writes his father had asked him if Meghan intended to keep working after their engagement,” Elser wrote.
Charles explained: ‘Well, darling boy, you know there’s not enough money to go around.’” Elser continued, “I can’t pay for anyone else. I’m already having to pay for your brother and Catherine.”
Was Charles’ negligence of Harry and Meghan’s financial needs part of why the brothers’ relationship fizzled?
While there appear to be many reasons why Prince Harry and Prince William’s relationship fizzled (and Prince Harry wrote about many of them in his autobiography Spare), money was a contributing factor. Harry and Meghan likely felt they should have been monetarily on a level playing field with royal family members Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Daniela Elser believes Charles’ decision not to be more, even with the family’s distribution of wealth, resulted in worse consequences. She wrote, “Charles’ reticence to pay for Meghan might be the worst bit of financial decision-making from a monarch since George III. If only the King had, say, ponied up the cash to let the Sussexes enjoy a bit more of the ‘lavish’ lifestyle they saw the Waleses enjoying. Then Crown Inc might not be in quite the deplorably shorthanded and starved for HRHs place it is now.”
Early in Meghan and Harry’s royal life Meghan reportedly believed the couple were paid to represent the royal family. She also reportedly found Frogmore Cottage below her standards.
Therefore, it wasn’t ironic when the couple announced they were splitting from their royal roles in 2020. In their Instagram announcement, Harry and Meghan added shared their intent.
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family and work to become financially independent. While continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”
Harry may get the last laugh when he turns 40
Prince Harry | Edwin Rodriguez Pipicano/Anadolu via Getty Images
Prince Harry is set to inherit a staggering payday as part of his inheritance on his 40th birthday. The Duke of Sussex will inherit a large sum from the Duchy of Cornwall in September 2024.
According to an official website about the Duchy of Cornwall, it holds the key to some financial freedom for Harry. The Queen Mother, the mother of Queen Elizabeth, reportedly put $90 million into a trust fund for her family and that’s where it remains. Harry had to wait to receive his share until he turned 40.
Therefore, Harry will receive $8.5 million on his birthday, Sept. 15, 2024. Christopher Anderson, author of The King, told Fox News, “The Queen Mother placed two-thirds of her [estimated] $120 million fortune into a trust fund for her great-grandchildren.”
“She knew that when Prince William became Prince of Wales, he would inherit the Duchy of Cornwall. Which now boasts assets of over $1 billion. In divvying things up, the Queen Mother may have left Harry a skosh more. In the meantime, the value of the trust has simply increased, Harry’s share along with it.”
Whether or not money, among other things, affected the current state of the relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry, the brothers remain estranged. They last attended the funeral of their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, but sat separately.
