Royals

Prince William's Annual Salary Revealed and It's… A Lot

Prince William's Annual Salary Revealed and It's… A Lot
Image credit: Legion-Media

It turns out William is filthy rich, but are you really surprised?

While it goes without saying that the British royal family is wealthy, after all, they have ruled the country for centuries and own an insane amount of property and land in the UK, people were not expecting to learn just how much money members of the royal family make on an annual basis.

When Charles finally became King Charles earlier this spring, his son and heir, Prince William, became the Duke of Cornwall, a position one step away from becoming King. The title of Duke, however, is not just a fancy label: it actually comes with a lucrative compensation package.

As the newly minted Duke of Cornwall, Prince William became the owner of the Duchy of Cornwall, an estate his father managed for around fifty years before ascending to the throne. But what does the Duchy consist of? Well, according to official sources, the Duchy of Cornwall is a private portfolio of land and financial investments consisting of more than 52 thousand hectares of land, including farms, forests, rivers, residential properties and $400 million worth of commercial properties. Yes, it all belongs to one man, Prince William. There are strings attached and limitations; for example, William cannot sell any of the assets that make up the Duchy. He does get handsome remuneration as the Duke of Cornwall, though.

According to one report, Prince William makes $7.5 million a year from his new title, which is a staggering figure for someone who doesn't actually manage his properties and just owns them. You might ask why Prince William needs all the money if he's already a member of the British Royal family and has all his needs taken care of.

Well, according to the report above, William uses the money to fund his official activities, like travelling to other countries on royal visits, to support his private life, fund his children's education, private trips and things like that, and most importantly, for charity. Just like any other British royal out there, William spends a lot of time helping those in need, attending countless charity fundraisers on a monthly basis, and donating a huge amount of his money to various charitable causes.

So as a royal of the British Royal Family, William does get access to lots of cash, but most of it is already spoken for, as it were, and there are rules and protocols in place that govern how he is supposed to spend it.

Source: US Weekly.