Clarence House has released its annual accounts, revealing that funding for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex including capital expenditure and transfer to reserves went up 40%. From 2017 to 2018, the total went up from £3.5million to £5million. Wow! Prince Charles' principal private secretary Clive Alderton said the year was one of "celebration, commemoration and change" and included "moments of great joy" for the palace.
He added: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex became engaged - their wedding itself seemed to me a day when not just the sun shone but Britain itself shone, and right round the world. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced that they were expecting another child and the Prince of Wales's third grandchild Prince Louis was born in April."
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Clive's statement continued: "The Duchess of Cornwall celebrated her 70th birthday and as she has been saying to everyone, the Prince of Wales is about to catch her up in November this year when he celebrates his own 70th birthday."
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Funding for Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's activities are listed under "other costs", but there is no further breakdown or detail. The figures also show Prince Charles' annual income from his hereditary estate the Duchy of Cornwall has increased by 5 per cent.
Prince Charles' income increased by 5 per cent
As heir to the throne, Charles is entitled to the surplus generated by the Duchy's vast portfolio of lands, buildings and financial investments - which includes the Oval cricket ground and 67,000 acres of Dartmoor. This year, the Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall carried out 619 engagements in 44 counties of the UK, plus official visits overseas to 15 countries. Charles uses his Duchy income to pay for his official duties, his London office and charitable work.
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The annual review also showed that greenhouse gas emissions from the Prince's household decreased by 9%, with all electricity used by the household coming from renewable sources.
