Insiders at the palace have shared insights into how the Wales family is managing, with one source candidly revealing the broader impact on the monarchy: "It all seems rather flat without Catherine. Given the Windsor family's increasingly thin ranks, she is by far the Crown's best hope. She combines duty and beauty with a disarming vulnerability, second only to Prince William's mother."
Speculation in the media has been rife, with pundits offering various interpretations of what the future might hold for the Princess. One question that has arisen, which many royalists have pondered, is whether the couple's high salaries are justified. This is a valid concern, given that they have logged fewer days as working royals than some other senior members of the family. It is, however, reassuring to know they are well-compensated for their work—work that is essential to the survival of the royal family.
Prince William, now in charge of the estate, is keen to demonstrate his financial responsibility. According to an insider, the 42-year-old has been meticulously reviewing the payroll, focusing on how money is being allocated. A source close to the matter noted that William is particularly mindful of not appearing privileged with cash. Recently, he made the decision to remove Queen Camilla’s sister, Annabel Elliot, from the Duchy of Cornwall payroll, a move that comes as no surprise to those familiar with the history.
This decision to relieve Camilla Parker Bowles’ sister of her role has shed light on the strained relationship between the Prince and his stepmother’s family—a tension usually kept out of the public eye. It’s said that William has long sought to keep the entire Parker Bowles family at a distance, maintaining a particularly distant relationship with Camilla's children, Tom and Laura. One source, a mutual friend of the step-siblings, mentioned that it’s best to avoid bringing up Tom around William, partly due to concerns about Tom's somewhat hedonistic lifestyle as a Mayfair socialite. The source recalled Tom being famously caught admitting to using cocaine by an undercover tabloid reporter in 1999, long before his mother became Queen.
The relationship between Camilla and William has undoubtedly been shaped by the legacy of Princess Diana. Diana viewed Camilla as the other woman in her marriage to Charles and is known to have discussed her marital struggles, including Camilla’s role, with her eldest son. Given William's general frostiness toward the wider Parker Bowles clan, Annabel’s dismissal comes as no surprise to insiders.
While some might assume that King Charles would be upset by his son’s decision to remove his sister-in-law from her role, a friend of Charles and Camilla suggested otherwise: "I think Charles has bigger fish to fry than worrying about Annabel’s job prospects. The Duchy of Cornwall is William’s now. Annabel is 75, and as Queen’s Companion, she is very busy."
The new annual report, published on July 24, indicated that as of March 31, 2024, there was no remaining payment due to Mrs. Elliot, and the decision not to renew her contract was not a reflection of the quality of her work. Instead, it was characterized as part of the business’s evolution under William’s leadership. Nevertheless, some cynical observers have noted that preferential treatment of trusted individuals is not entirely out of fashion, as Prince William has appointed one of his close friends, William van Cutsem, to a senior role at the Duchy.
Elsewhere in the report, Prince William’s salary was revealed to be approximately $130 million in 2023. Meanwhile, his brother, Prince Harry, is set to receive $8.5 million from his share of the $90 million trust fund left by their late great-grandmother, the Queen Mother, before her death in 2002. However, William reportedly does not trust Harry or his wife, Meghan, one bit, and the idea of Harry now cashing in on his great-granny’s inheritance leaves a bitter taste in William's mouth.
