We all know the narrative surrounding Prince William and Prince Harry — the latter is the wayward, estranged son of King Charles, who elects not to follow the family’s demands, while his big brother is the one who does it all by the book and stands by his father’s side. As it happens, though, William doesn’t simply do everything the king does, as revealed by his noteworthy decision to ignore his dad’s honorable example.
One thing you can’t accuse Charles of is attempting to keep any dodgy financial dealings under wraps as the monarch has a history of being fully transparent with his tax information. This was something he did throughout his tenure as heir to the throne and it’s something he’s continuing now that he’s the one wearing the crown. On the other hand, it seems William — for everything else he agrees with his dad on — isn’t of the same way of thinking as he is adamant on keeping his financial information private.
Prince William is refusing to share how much tax he pays as the palace attempts to downplay any rumors of wrongdoing
In short, Prince William has refused to share how much tax he pays, something that is in sharp contrast to King Charles. Details on the Royals’ earnings, expenditures and complete financial dealings from the year ending 2022 have come to light, and they are full of mind-melting figures. For instance, the king has shared his complete household costs — over £239 million was spent on renovating Buckingham Palace alone — and how much he paid in tax — £5.89 million.
In contrast, William has decided not to reveal his own tax information regarding his Duchy of Cornwall estate, which he inherited from Charles when he became king. It’s known that the estate generated profits of £23.6 million last year, but William doesn’t want to specify how much tax he paid on that. A spokesperson for Kensington Palace has maintained that the Prince of Wales paid “appropriate” levels of income tax and there is nothing untoward going on as his decision not to publish the figures reflects “what was required” of him.
It is a fact that William is not legally required to publicly declare his tax bill, but it’s naturally something that seems curious given his father’s own commitment to always being open about his own finances with the British people. According to The Daily Mail, however, Royal insiders are claiming that William actually paid more tax than his father for this period, due to the Cornwall estate bringing in more income. This is plausible given that the Duchy’s total assets have risen its worth to a staggering £1.3 billion.
This isn’t the only difference between William and Charles’ managerial approaches, though. As Alistair Martin, secretary and keeper of records for the estate, put it (via The Mirror): “His Royal Highness, the 24th Duke, would telephone me. His Royal Highness, the 25th Duke, will WhatsApp me.”
Published: Jul 25, 2024 05:48 am