The Duchy Files: how bad is the scandal for King Charles?
Making millions in rent from the NHS and armed forces a 'PR disaster' for royal family
The King's Duchy of Lancaster estate makes £829,000 a year renting a warehouse to an NHS trust to keep ambulances.
That's just one of the findings from a joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4's "Dispatches" into how the monarchy's centuries-old property portfolios are used in lucrative contracts with public bodies and charities. The investigation also revealed how the royal duchies receive millions from the armed forces, schools, prisons and fire and ambulance services.
Adding to the royal family's woes, a separate investigation by The Mirror and "Dispatches" found "scores" of rental properties owned by Prince William as part of his Duchy of Cornwall estate are riddled with damp and mould and fail to meet the minimum legal energy efficiency standards for landlords.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What did the commentators say?
The royal family making millions of pounds a year in rent from the NHS and the armed forces is a "PR disaster" that could have serious consequences for the future of the monarchy, said Libby Purves in The Times.
The 185,000 acres that make up the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall have over time become "cash cows", raking in more than £50 million a year for King Charles and Prince William. That neither pay capital gains or corporation tax is already contentious, but the "real embarrassment" lies in the detail of their tenants – covering some of the most venerated public institutions in Britain.
For the modern monarchy, "perception is everything, and underpinning its popular support is the expectation that the royal family use their position for the public good", said Craig Prescott, a lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London, also in The Times.
"Any suspicion that the monarchy is pursuing its public functions for private gain would be incendiary", something senior royals are "acutely aware" of.
While the Crown's vast land holdings are "no secret," said Zoë Grünewald on the i news site, "the scale of profit and hypocrisy is striking". The public outrage is "unsurprising" especially at a time of "widespread sacrifice for citizens" and when Labour is raising taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals.
There's nothing unusual about the royals' tax affairs, Ben Goldsmith, a British financier and environmentalist, told The Telegraph. "The Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster are private assets which generate an income for members of the royal family, on which they pay full tax," he said. "The royal family owns stuff, like many families in this country. And?"
While there is no question of impropriety, it's "not a good look" for the monarch and heir to the throne, said The Express, "especially not making money from mining activities in Cornwall" given their much-touted green credentials.
What next?
The King is "under growing pressure" to refund the cash-strapped NHS, said the Daily Mail. But the revelations have "raised fresh questions" over the royal family's wider tax arrangements, said The Telegraph.
Their tax exemptions are, in fact, "outdated and indefensible" said Grünewald. It is time for Labour to "harness the public's frustration" and build on the momentum of its "redefining budget and the appetite for change" by ensuring the monarchy pays its share of corporation and capital gains taxes.
This would "benefit the Crown as well". By taking a lead in supporting national unity and public services, "the royals could redefine their role in modern Britain".
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'A stark choice'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Vietnamese migrants crossing the Channel
The Explainer 2024 has seen a surge in the numbers of Vietnamese migrants making the illegal passage into the UK
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
How to make the most of your leftover pumpkins
The Week Recommends As the Halloween fun wraps up, snap up pumpkins still on sale and don't leave your jack-o-lanterns to rot
By Tess Foley-Cox Published
-
Princess of Wales visits Southport
Speed Read The royal couple met the families of the girls killed in the knife attack
By The Week UK Published
-
Kate and William: adapting to the Insta age
Talking Point Communicating directly with the public lets the royals circumvent the media machine but it comes with its own perils
By The Week UK Published
-
Princess of Wales returns to work in first meeting of 2024
Speed Reed Early Years project has been the 'cornerstone' of Catherine's charitable work
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Princess of Wales celebrates end of chemotherapy
Speed Read The former Kate Middleton shares rare glimpse into family life as she marks milestone in her cancer treatment
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Is Prince Harry planning a royal comeback?
In the Spotlight Duke of Sussex looking to repair relationship with King Charles and 'rehabilitate' his image back in UK
By The Week UK Published
-
King Charles portrait: 'mystique' or 'monstrosity'?
Talking Points While the artist hoped to portray the 'magic' of the monarchy, critics have lambasted the 'spooky' work
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Prince Harry returns to mark 10 years of Invictus – but he won't see the King
Speed Read Duke of Sussex will not see his father during London visit 'due to His Majesty's full programme'
By Hollie Clemence, The Week UK Published
-
Duchess of Gloucester: the hard-working royal you've never heard of
Under The Radar Outer royal 'never expected' to do duties but has stepped up to the plate
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published