Prince William hires Prince George and Prince Louis' godparents at his Duchy estate

The Prince of Wales has quietly hired two of his closest friends at his Duchy of Cornwall estate – Harry Aubrey-Fletcher and William van Cutsem.

The latest royal accounts for the Duchy, which has long provided the heir to the throne with an annual private income, show that Harry is a member of the Prince's Council, which brings "invaluable expertise and experience to the Duchy as recognised leaders in their varying fields".

A short profile in the documents reveal that he "manages a group of rural businesses across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and West Sussex". He is also the founder of the residential development business Carden Group PLC.

Harry is the son of Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. William was chosen as an usher at Harry's 2011 wedding to Sarah Stourton, which took place four months before he wed Kate Middleton.

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Following the birth of William and Kate's third child, Prince Louis, in April 2018, Harry was chosen to be one of the tot's godparents.

Meanwhile, William van Cutsem was first appointed as an advisor to the Prince's Council in September 2022. He is a Chartered Surveyor specialising in commercial property, having started his career at Savills before co-founding his own company, Pigeon.

William, who grew up on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, has been close friends with the Prince since childhood. When he married Rosie Ruck Keene in 2013, Prince William served as an usher.

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And following the birth of William and Kate's first child, Prince George, just a couple of months after William and Rosie's wedding, he was chosen to be one of the royal baby's godparents.

As outlined in the Duchy's accounts, William, who is also the Duke of Cornwall as well as Prince of Wales, personally appoints members of The Prince's Council.

Finances show that the Prince received an annual private income of £23.6 million in the last financial year. However, he declined to reveal his tax bill for the year, although he is not obliged to.

When the King was the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cornwall, he voluntarily paid £5.9 million in income tax in the last full year he held the titles.