Due to the fact that he’s quite literally royalty, Prince William is rich. Like, “I live in a casual castle and my late grandma owned a scepter” rich. Not only does William have more money than Prince Harry for reasons that would cause any family to feud, but he’s about to get even richer too. Here’s a breakdown of how his royal finances work since ~inquiring minds~ want to know—especially since the sixth and final season of The Crown dips a toe into his college years with Kate Middleton.
Things I got from my great-grandmother: a dusting of upper-lip hair (thanks!) and an obsession with cheese. Things Prince Harry got from his great-grandmother: a buncha money.
Harry’s great-grandma was Queen Elizabeth’s mom, and in 1994, she went ahead and placed two-thirds of her money (an estimated £19 million, which is close to a cool $23 million) into a trust fund for her great-grandchildren. The Guardian reports that Harry and William split about £6 million (nearly $8 million) of this trust at age 21—but it wasn’t a fifty-fifty split because the Queen Mother wanted to compensate Harry “for not becoming sovereign.” Lol
William and Harry get to split another £8M (which is almost $10M, btw) of that trust fund when they turn 40. Prince William might already be seeing that $$$ since his 40th birthday was this past June. And if you’re wondering who the remaining money is going to, that’d be Harry and William’s cousins who are further down the line of succession.
Princess Diana Left Him a Pretty Huge Inheritance
Princess Diana tragically died when she was just 36, and according to Forbes, she left Prince William (and Prince Harry) $10 million after taxes. Wills started receiving annual dividends of $450,000 a year at 25, which are his to do with what he wants. He’s certainly not using it to pay for his royal lifestyle, though, because that’s more than covered.
He Gets Perks From Being a Working Royal
William is what we call a “working royal,” meaning his full-time job is going to charitable events and shaking a lotta hands. As such, he and his wife Kate Middleton get a LOT of their expenses (including travel) paid for by the Sovereign Grant, which is taxpayer money meant to cover the royal fam’s official duties. Huh. Must be nice.
In zcase your mind isn’t sufficiently blown by how rich the royals are, allow me to introduce the Duchy of Cornwall. This is a private “portfolio of property and financial investments” previously owned by King Charles. However, Wills took over after Charles became King following his mother’s death in September 2022. Now, William is the Duke of Cornwall and has control of the duchy’s revenue. Bonus: It’s pretty much up to him how to spend it, and by “it” I mean the ~£23 million he’ll get per year.
Finances aside, however, Cornwall is near and dear to both Prince William and Prince Harry, as they would often visit it while on vacation with their mother, the late Princess Diana. In fact, in a 2019 documentary produced by ITV called Prince Charles: Inside the Duchy of Cornwall, the Duke of Cambridge opened up about how excited he was to lean into that side of the family business, saying, “I’ve started to think about how I will inherit the Duchy one day and what I do with it. I think it’s really important, about the family angle, I really do.” In a later part of the doc, Charles responds to his son’s enthusiasm and confesses that he was “practically reduced to tears” at the fact that Wills had expressed such an interest in taking over the portfolio. “I was deeply touched and moved by what he said…It practically reduced me to tears. Because I suddenly thought, well, just hearing that from him, has made the last 50 years worthwhile.” Never did I think I would be out here crying over literal land, but here we are!
And Eventually, He’ll Inherit the Queen’s Money, Too
William is in line to become the next monarch right after King Charles, who experienced a huge milestone in his reign as monarch when he was coronated. This means that eventually, ~everything the light touches~ will be his, and according to Forbes, that includes $10 billion worth of real estate, the Royal Art Collection, a buncha swans, and an annual government stipend of $12.9 million. There’s also the late Queen’s personal net worth of $500 million (aka money that’s not tied to the crown), which includes property, stud farms, jewelry, and a fancy stamp collection. camera awkwardly cuts to Prince Harry
Oh, and P.S. Neither King Charles III nor any other members of the family—Prince William included!—who receive an inheritance following the Queen’s death will be required to pay tax on that inheritance thanks to a handy-dandy 1993 agreement with the British government. Nice!
So, What’s Prince William’s Total Net Worth in 2023?
Prince William is currently worth around $100 million, most of which comes from the duchy. Meanwhile, I’ll be here inheriting my mother’s fine lines and wrinkles, it’s fine.
