If their sources of income are multiple, they remain opaque to say the least, particularly with regard to the amount transmitted to the family in the will of Elizabeth II. However, the Daily Mail and the Times have looked into this delicate question, drawing up a ranking of the fortunes closest to reality for each member of the Windsor. “Here we present MailOnline’s best estimates of the wealth that fills the Windsors’ wallets,” can we read in the Daily Mail article.
“With Love, Meghan”: Meghan Markle’s Netflix series postponed and accused of plagiarism
And the conclusions are surprising to say the least. While one might imagine that King Charles III, son of Queen Elizabeth II, sits at the top of this ranking, he ultimately finds himself in second place, with a fortune estimated at £900 million.
Prince William, the (already) billionaire heir
Who is ahead of the British sovereign? It is quite simply his eldest son, Prince William, direct heir to the throne, with a colossal fortune estimated at more than a billion pounds sterling. This astronomical amount is explained by various inheritances: ten million pounds sterling upon the death of his mother, Princess Diana, to which are added seven million inherited from the Queen Mother.
But the real key to his fortune lay in his control over the Duchy of Cornwall, which he obtained when he became Prince of Wales. This private estate provides him with an annual income of around £24 million, a sum which he is not required to declare for tax and which he can use as he wishes. Worth a total of £1.3 billion, this duchy was previously owned by Charles, before he ascended the throne. Now at the head of the Duchy of Lancaster, Charles manages assets estimated at 647 million pounds, generating around 27 million in annual income. However, this remains insufficient to dethrone William.
Finally, it is worth remembering that King Charles certainly inherited most of Elizabeth II’s estate, estimated at £370 million and exempt from taxes. This legacy also includes priceless jewelry and works of art.
Harry and Meghan, far from being deprived
In third place in the ranking but far behind in terms of numbers is Princess Anne, with a fortune estimated at £50 million. Very active in royal engagements, she notably received Gatcombe Park from Queen Elizabeth in 1976, a property she shared during her divorce. She also benefits from an annual pension.
However, the real surprise lies in the position of the couple often described as “problematic” in the royal family: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. With a fortune estimated at £60 million, the Sussexes are doing quite well despite their distance from the British crown. This amount is notably due to the couple’s multiple projects: the colossal income generated by Harry’s explosive book, The Substitute, their contracts with Netflix (estimated at 80 million pounds sterling), as well as the prince’s inheritance, including the ten million of books bequeathed by his mother, Diana, and part of the heritage of the Queen Mother.
Despite this, their lavish lifestyle could well eat into this fortune. By renouncing their royal privileges and going into exile in the United States, Harry and Meghan must now finance expenses formerly covered by the crown themselves. Among them, private security, which would represent a colossal monthly cost.
And Meghan Markle’s recent announcement, postponing the broadcast of her new series initially scheduled on Netflix on January 15, already tainted by accusations of plagiarism, does not bode well for this couple who are both highly publicized and widely criticized.
