Royal estates “receive millions from government agencies and charities”

Details of the royal family’s finances, including rent received from the NHS, schools and the armed forces, have been revealed in a new documentary.

In an investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches and Sunday TimesThe private estates of King Charles and Prince William have reportedly received millions of pounds in income from contracts with government bodies and charities.

Last year, these deals with the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall totaled nearly £50 million.

A spokesman for the Duchy of Lancaster, King Charles’ private estate, said it “complies with all relevant UK law and regulatory standards applicable to its business activities”.

The Duchy of Lancaster, founded in 1399, and Prince William’s Duchy of Cornwall, founded in 1337, hold large amounts of land and commercial property in England and Wales.

Their contracts with public authorities reportedly include a £37m deal between the Duchy of Cornwall and the Ministry of Justice for the lease of Dartmoor Prison, and an £11.4m deal between Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust and the Duchy Lancaster. London warehouse for over 15 years.

Dispatches The King, The Prince and Their Secret Millions report that details of the leases have not been released to Parliament.

The documentary raises concerns about the environmental impact of some of the estates’ contracts, including those with mining companies.

The two private estates are separate from the Crown Estate, a collection of lands and property that operate as a private business and belong to the “sovereign during his reign”.

The royal family receives a sovereign grant, which is taken as a percentage of the income of the Crown Estate, to pay for running costs. It will rise to £132m next yearafter profits from the Crown Estate increased to £1.1 billion.

A spokesman for the Duchy of Cornwall said it was “a private estate with a commercial imperative that we achieve alongside our commitment to restoring the natural environment and creating a positive social impact in our communities”.

On the mining issue, a spokesman said the duchy was “acting responsibly and environmentally” in relation to the government’s industrial strategy.

A spokesman for the Duchy of Lancaster said it operates “as a commercial company that manages a wide range of land and property assets in England and Wales”.

They said the duchy “delegates certain functions, particularly those relating to asset management, to the Duchy Council”, and while the King takes a “close interest” in the work of the Duchy, the day-to-day management of the portfolio is the responsibility of the council and the executive team.

He added that he had made a number of key environmental improvements in recent years.