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WPA pool
1.8
After the Megxit, the British Royals got down to business. Questions are raised about how much money the members of the royal family “earn” at all.
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AP
2.8
The Queen and her royals can count on income from land and private assets, as well as state money.
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Keystone
3.8
The Queen and her eldest son, heir to the throne, Charles, are large landowners, whose revenues wash tens of millions into their coffers each year.
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Dukas
7.8
However, Harry has already made it clear that he does not want to completely forego the previous royal financial injections.
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Keystone
8.8
Who knows, maybe with more independence from the palace, Harry may soon have more money than his brother William?
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The British Crown, like any other monarchy, does not like to talk about how it is financed and what the royals live on. But after the whole Harry and Meghan debacle, finance is now the focus. And it becomes clear how much money it is actually about when Harry and Meghan nibble off the palace.
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The British royals live on three main sources of income: lands, private wealth and state money. That doesn’t make them super-rich billionaires, but the members of the royal family need not worry.
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Queen Elizabeth II (93) is a large landowner. She personally owns the Duchy of Lancaster, a duchy that spans nearly 200 square kilometers of commercial and agricultural land, as well as settlement areas. The value of the property is estimated at around CHF 690 million. Last year, the revenue was around CHF 26 million, which goes directly to the Queen.
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Harry has received millions from his father so far
The Duchy of Cornwall by Prince Charles (71), also a large landowner, is valued at just under CHF 1.2 billion. Revenue 2019: CHF 27 million, of which around 6.5 million went directly to his sons Prince William (37) and Prince Harry (35) last year. The crux now is how much Harry should get. Will he have to give up this chunk, as his father already said?
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Then there is the private fortune of the Royals, about which, however, no figures are known. What you know: The Queen owns the Sandringham House country house, for example. It’s about millions, not billions – although Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have already registered the Sussex Royal brand name. This enables them to market products from socks to greeting cards.
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Finally: state money. The British Royals receive substantial sums from the so-called sovereign grant every year. It dates back to the 17th century when the crown handed over entire areas to the government. Every year the state transfers profits from the Crown Estate to the Royals. In 2019 there were at least 103 million francs, with which the maintenance of palaces such as Buckingham Palace is paid.
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Harry and Meghan do not want to give up this money entirely
The palace geeks Harry and Meghan have already indicated that they do not want to entirely forego this income. On their website, Sussexroyal.com, they said they wanted to continue to count on government-funded security services. They also wish to continue living in a cottage that belongs to the Queen and that they have recently renovated for CHF 3 million. At state expense.
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In Canada, the current adopted home of the two, a debate has already broken out about who should pay for the royals in the country – especially for security services. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (48) said on television yesterday that Canada also has financial obligations.
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These are “part of the considerations that need to be made and there are discussions,” he said diplomatically. Trudeau spoke of a “general feeling of appreciation for the Sussexes” in Canada, but there had to be talks about the exact rules.
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How could the couple make money?
According to the BBC, Harry and Meghan are likely to make a lot of money as influencers, with films and TV productions and their own branded products. The two could launch their own brands – from beauty products to clothing lines. However, the British state broadcaster points out: “Any move that could be seen as exploitation of the royal brand would likely generate criticism.” (Kes)
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