DUKE AND CHARLES PAID HARRY AND MEGHAN A ‘SUBSTANTIAL SUM’ AFTER MEGXIT, BUT THE COUPLE PAYED THE BACK RENT OF FROGMORE COTTAGE
The Prince of Wales gave the Duke and Duchess of Sussex a “substantial sum” of money in the months following their resignation as royalty, despite the Duke claiming that his family “literally cut me off financially. ”.
However, the couple Refunded £ 2.4 million to the taxpayer as reimbursement for the renovations to their home at Frogmore Cottage 18 months' rent was also included.
The newly released accounts show that Charles continued to provide money for Harry and Meghan until the summer of 2020, while Harry told Oprah Winfrey that the couple stopped receiving money from the Royal Family in the first quarter of that year.
A senior Clarence House spokesman said the Prince of Wales provided the money to help his youngest son become financially independent.
The new accounts showed that between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Cambridge and their families, Charles paid about 4.5 million pounds.
The spokesperson said: “As we will all remember in January 2020, when the Duke and Duchess announced that they were leaving work the royal family, the Duke said that they would work to become financially independent.
“The Prince of Wales allocated a substantial sum to support them with this transition.
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“That funding ceased in the summer of last year. The couple is now financially independent.
When asked about the difference in the terms given by the two parties on financing, the spokesperson said: “I would not recognize that they are dramatically different. All I can tell you are the facts. "
Clarence House, the official residence of Prince Charles, is located next to St James's Palace.
A Sussex spokesperson said: “You are combining two different timelines and it is inaccurate to suggest that there is a contradiction.
The Duke's comments during Oprah's interview referred to the first quarter of the UK tax reporting period, which begins annually in April.
"This is the same date that the 'transition year' of the Sandringham deal began and is aligned with the timeline referenced by Clarence House."
They continued: “The Duke made a substantial contribution to the Sovereign Grant last year to support the necessary and existing renovations at Frogmore Cottage, which specifically included essential structural upgrades to the building.
“As part of this agreement, all the obligations of the tenants are being fulfilled. The Duke and Duchess continue to operate with no UK taxpayer money being withdrawn ”.
Frogmore Cottage, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex lived
A royal source said: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have paid £ 2.4 million and we are satisfied that on the basis of that payment they meet all their current obligations."
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have paid £ 2.4 million, covering rental income in 2020/21, rental income in 2021/22… So all payments are reflected in the accounts."
House spokesman Clarence added that the couple's departure was "a matter of enormous sadness for the family," adding: "The prince wanted to help make this work, (and) allocated a substantial sum to the Duke and Duchess. from Sussex, to help them with that transition. "
The spokesperson said: "I am not betraying trust when I say that they have been very successful in becoming financially independent."
The Sussexes have signed considerable contracts with Netflix and Amazon since leaving the royal fold, and Harry told Oprah that this helped pay for their safety.
He added that the £ 7 million he had from what Diana left him was used in the game, adding that "without that we would not have been able to do this."
The Sussex wealth before Megxit was thought to be around £ 18 million.
Clarence House accounts showed that Charles's output, including capital expenditures and transfers to reserves, fell from around £ 1.2 million to £ 4.5 million in the financial year after the Sussexes resigned as members. of royalty.
Charles's annual income from the Duchy of Cornwall fell £ 1.8 million to £ 20.4 million, while his Sovereign Grant fund fell from £ 1.8 to £ 0.4 million.
