Prince William has taken a "forensic interest" in a new study that questions the charitable value of royal patronages, according to individuals familiar with the matter, prompting renewed scrutiny of the monarchy's traditional philanthropic structure. The findings, which examined the financial performance of 35 charities before and after Prince Andrew relinquished his roles in 2019, appear to align with William's long-standing preference for fewer, more focused engagements over the historically broad patronage model.
The study, conducted by Caroline Fiennes, founder of Giving Evidence, and Dr. Clemens Jarnach, a political sociologist and data scientist, used six difference-in-differences linear regression models to assess whether the Duke of York's departure materially impacted charity revenue. "We find no evidence that Prince Andrew's patronage of charities helped the charities in terms of revenue," the authors concluded. "There was no discernible decline in their revenue when his patronage ended."
William reportedly views the data as potentially applicable to the royal system at large. The Prince believes the new evidence "could be applied across the board," a source told The Mail. The Prince sees limited value in the conventional model, which they described as consisting of "garden party invitations, a visit once in a blue moon and the slight chance of an MBE."
The report found that nearly half of the charities saw their revenue increase after Prince Andrew stepped away. Among the most significant gains were the Fly Navy Heritage Trust, which posted a 346% rise in income, Children North East with a 56% increase, and Yorkshire Air Ambulance at 47%. However, not all outcomes were positive: the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and City Gateway saw declines of 68%.
Andrew lost his patronages following a damaging 2019 BBC Newsnight interview in which he addressed his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Since then, the royal family has made efforts to distance itself from the scandal, and Andrew has remained largely absent from public duties.
Fiennes emphasized that the research does not suggest that all royal patronages are without value but raises questions about their utility in revenue generation. "Charities which want revenue may be wasting their time in seeking, securing and/or servicing a royal patron," she told The Times.
The findings echo earlier research by Giving Evidence in 2020, which similarly found minimal financial benefit from royal patronages. That year, such engagements accounted for 26% of official duties carried out by seven senior royals. William has been known to favor a more strategic approach, choosing to focus on a smaller portfolio of initiatives-such as mental health, homelessness, and environmental conservation-where he believes he can make a measurable difference.
