Why Prince Harry Inherited More Money from the Queen Mum Than Prince William Did
It's good to be a future king. Like his brother Prince Harry, Prince William is reportedly worth approximately $40 million. Here's how his fortune breaks down:
William inherited a trust fund from the Queen Mother when she died.
According to the BBC, the Queen Mother put the bulk of her estimated £70 million (roughly $89 million) fortune into a trust fund for her great-grandchildren in 1994. "Princes William and Harry will reportedly share about £14 m from the estate of their late great grandmother," the network reported in 2002. That's about $17.9 million.
"The bulk of the cash will go to the younger brother, since William will benefit financially by becoming king." Makes sense.
William and Harry also received inheritances from their mother, Princess Diana.
According to the Telegraph, William received £10 million, or roughly $12.75 million, when he turned 30 in 2012. He was also given a number of her personal effects including jewelry and Diana's wedding gown, which he shares with Harry.
He received a military salary.
Like most royal men, Prince William served in the military. In 2006, he joined the Household Cavalry in the Blues and Royals regiment and later became a helicopter pilot in the RAF Search and Rescue Force. His salary in the latter position was reportedly between $68,000 and $74,000, according to Forbes. He left that role in 2013.
In 2015, William started a civilian job as an ambulance pilot for East Anglian Air Ambulance, where he donated his $62,000-a-year salary to charity. He is now a full-time working royal.
Prince Charles funds some of William's family's expenses, as does the Sovereign Grant.
As the heir apparent to the British throne, the Prince of Wales receives an income from the Duchy of Cornwall, 53,000 hectares of land in 23 counties, which was created by Edward III in 1337 "to provide an income for his son, Prince Edward," Time reports. It is a portfolio of assets that always goes to the monarch's "eldest surviving son and heir."
According to the Duchy's financial documents, Charles received £21.6 million, or $27.4 million, between March 2018 and March 2019, a sum which comes from the Duchy's revenue surplus, as he does not have access the Duchy's capital value. That money goes to fund Prince Charles's "public, charitable and private activities and those of his family," including not only the Prince William and Duchess Kate and their children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, but also the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. When Charles becomes King, William will receive the Duchy.
Additionally, taxpayers foot the bill for expenses on official royal visits through the Sovereign Grant. For example, Prince William's trip to the middle east last June cost £73,938, or roughly $94,000.
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