Money, security and royal duties on the table as ‘The Firm’ meets to discuss Megxit
Prince Charles has been funding Prince Harry and Meghan’s lavish lifestyle, a royal source has claimed, as key discussions over Megxit are underway.
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Prince Charles has paid the Duke and Duchess of Sussex millions of pounds from his private income despite their desire to become “financially independent”, British media reports.
The Evening Standard claims the Prince of Wales has spent “hundreds of thousands of pounds” to help furnish Harry and Meghan’s Frogmore Cottage home, on top of their $4.5 million taxpayer-funded renovation.
The heir to the throne also reportedly paid a “small fortune” for their wedding in May 2018.
“There is a great deal of hurt given that the Prince of Wales has gone out of his way to help his son who he loves dearly and embrace his daughter-in-law into the family,” a source told the paper’s royal editor, Robert Jobson.
“The figures quoted on the Sussex website are wrong. It does not take into account security for one thing and much of the travel. Also talk of what the Prince of Wales only pays towards both his sons from the profits of the Duchy is simply not true.
“He has paid out considerable sums from his private investments and money too. These are not small sums. It should not be a surprise that he is upset by all this given the truth about how he has supported his son.”
Buckingham Palace has not responded to request for comment.
Last week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex laid out plans on their new website for a “transition into a new working model” in 2020 which would see them become “financially independent.”
This includes reducing their reliance on the Sovereign Grant, which they claimed made up five per cent of their funding for their office. The remaining 95 per cent – which is around $9.5 million per year split between the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex – comes from the Duchy of Cornwall which is income granted to Prince Charles through his royal title.
“During the course of 2020, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made the choice to step back as senior members of the royal family and no longer receive funding through the Sovereign Grant, thereby making them members of the royal family with financial independence,” the couple stated.
However the decision to call themselves “financially independent” while still relying on money granted through a royal title has raised eyebrows.
Estimates of what the couple could earn if their true earning potential was unleashed through book deals and the public speaking circuit run into the tens of millions.
On Monday, the family met for a royal summit at Sandringham to talk over key issues including how their transition to part-time royals might work, including where they will live, who will pay for their security and how they will divide their time.
The model has been mooted as a potential blueprint for minor royals such as Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. But how it will work in practice remains to be seen with huge questions about the potential conflict of interests cashing in on the royal brand could create.
Meanwhile, Canadians have welcomed the prospect of the couple moving to their country with open arms including potentially taking up the role of Governor-general.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also agreed the countrycould pick up some of the bill for the round the clock security the couple would require while potentially living there.
Originally published as Money, security and royal duties on the table as ‘The Firm’ meets to discuss Megxit