Prince Charles reportedly incurred over $7.65 million (£6 million) in expenses for supporting his sons, Prince William and Harry, and their wives, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, in 2019. The figures come from the latest annual review, which Clarence House released for the Duchy of Cornwall.
According to Daily Express, the report of the Prince of Wales' expenses for his sons and their family does not include a breakdown covering the period of April 2019 to March 2020. However, the figure increased to 11 percent compared to the Sussexes and the Cambridges' expenses in 2018.
But, by April 2020, Harry and Meghan were on the first month of their push to gain financial independence after leaving the royal family and relocating to Los Angeles. It was understood that Prince Charles would continue to support the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their first year away from the royal fold.
However, by September, Harry and Meghan announced that they secured a lucrative production deal with the Hollywood streaming platform Netflix. The couple, then, paid off the expenses incurred for the renovation of Frogmore Cottage in Windsor in full. The Sussexes also bought a house in Los Angeles through a mortgage they secured with their own money.
Sources said that the Sussexes are no longer receiving any financial help from Prince Charles since landing the deal with Netflix. Harry is reportedly relieved to have achieved their plan of financial freedom earlier than expected.
Aside from their Netflix deal, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also have speaking engagements handled by the Harry Walker Agency. The couple is apparently taking points from Barack and Michelle Obama's career steps after they left the White House in 2016.
Prince Charles, on the other hand, incurred personal expenses of up to $4.08 million (£3.2 million). This money went into paying for the salaries of his staff at Clarence House and in his various homes, gardens and farms.
However, the royal houses are reportedly doing belt-tightening measures amid the pandemic crisis. Tourists to the royal residences have dropped this year, affecting majority of the royal family's income.
A senior royal aide in Clarence House said that the Duchy of Cornwall is projecting a profit decrease for 2020-2021. Experts said that economic recovery from this crisis might not happen until three years.
Prince Charles is said to be looking at ways to downgrade and limit wasting resources. However, royal aides do not expect the Prince of Wales to cut down on letter writing despite going digital, so paper will still be a necessity in his office.
