Prince William’s eye-watering salary revealed
The Prince of Wales’ mammoth pay cheque for his first full year on the job has been published in a new report.
Prince William’s eye-watering salary during his first full year as heir to the throne has been revealed.
The Prince of Wales, 42, inherited the Duchy of Cornwall from his father, King Charles, upon his ascension to the throne in September 2022 – which saw him collect a whopping £23.6 million (A$46 million) in distributable surplus from its investments.
The figures were published in the Integrated Annual Report on Wednesday.
The Duchy is a private estate which is used to fund William, Kate and their three children’s “official, charitable and private activities” and is valued at more than $1 billion.
While the estate is exempt from corporation tax, William, who also inherited the Duke of Cornwall title when the late Queen died, voluntarily pays income tax on the annual revenue surplus, once business-related costs have been deducted.
Last year, William took home only a portion of the $43 million annual profit, as he inherited the Cornwall position halfway through.
Of the massive profit from this latest fiscal round, the Prince and Princess of Wales reportedly donated a sizeable portion to charities, including those associated with the war in Ukraine, earthquake appeals in Turkey and Syria, the London Air Ambulance, and an assortment of mental health charities.
The financial report follows the results of a review into royal patronages being revealed, with William set to scale down the number of positions he takes on.
Unlike many previous senior royals, the future King and Queen will “focus their time on a smaller number of causes” in order to have more impact, in an “evolution” of the past strategy.
William is set to become patron of the Welsh Guards Charity, the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association and president of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association, and transition from president to patron of Fields in Trust, as well as his new patronage of the Football Association
“The Prince and Princess of Wales’s number one priority is to deliver impact. The approach they take to their charitable endeavours is an evolution of how members of the royal family have worked in the past,” his private secretary Ian Patrick said, as per the UK’s Mirror.
“Their royal highnesses wish to focus their time on a smaller number of causes that are aligned with their values and allow them to build deeper relationships with organisations, engage in a constructive way, and deepen their knowledge of the issues that these organisations champion.”