Revelations that shock the British.
According to surveys carried out by our colleagues at Daily
Mirror, of Sunday Times and the program
Dispatchesthe income received by King Charles III and Prince William
make people cringe. Indeed, these sums come from lands notably seized by the British royal family and located in the duchies of Lancaster in Cornwall.
Seizures dating back to the Middle Ages! They concern in particular taxes, toll fees and even the payment of parking lots, paid by the residents of these two regions. Thus, these taxes allowed Charles III and William to win
no less than 50 million euros.
photo credit: Bestimage
Charles III and Prince William in turmoil
In addition, certain public organizations also pay rent to royalty, amounts that they do not declare to the tax authorities. So, on social networks, the British did not hide their anger: “Dishonest!”, “It’s a shame”, “They take everything and give nothing back”, “And we are surprised that the French took the Bastille!”, can we read.
This investigation “shows how duchies seek profit wherever they can, to the detriment of the public”denounces Graham Smith, leader of the anti-monarchist group Republic.
Income that goes directly to those close to the royal family
And this is not the first time that the two crowned heads have had to justify their income. Indeed, in 2006, a parliamentary commission investigated the tax exemptions which benefits the royal family from these assets. Then, in 2013, the same commission called for more control from the Treasury over the finances of the Duchy of Cornwall.
For Norman Baker, a former MP from the centrist Liberal Democrats, Parliament “should get a grip on the subject, just like the government”. According to him, the subject is crucial, because the subject of finances is “the most vulnerable”. For David Haigh, director of the financial advisory company Brand Finance, the two duchies of Charles III and William are doing what “any large estate belonging to an aristocratic family” executes. Duchies “simply act within the law for the best interests of their private capitals”.
