How Much Is Prince William Actually Worth?
While some members of royalty gain their enviable status through marriage, there's a lucky few born with a destiny that would make any commoner jealous. For Prince William, it naturally comes as no surprise that this well-known member of the royal family has a stunning net worth of $30 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. As the second in line to the British throne, the elder son of Prince Charles and Prince Diana has lived a lavish life that has been well documented since his birth in 1982.
Over the years, fans of the royal family have watched as the future King of England matured into adulthood, married Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, and eventually became a father to the couple's three children, Prince George, Prince Louise, and Princess Charlotte. But, of course, as people have watched the Duke of Cambridge and his family perform their royal duties, there's been one question on everyone's mind: Just where do all those zeros in his bank account come from? The ins and outs of this royal's finances are complex, so read on to find out more about the sources of Prince William's net worth.
Prince William was born to live lavishly
Being a royal family member certainly includes plenty of perks, but these luxuries don't come without a cost. As mentioned above, the elder son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana is currently second in line to become the British monarch. As such, Prince William's royal life comes not only with plenty of enviable bonuses, but also an equal amount of royal expectations.
Even in his early days, it would appear that the young prince was already receiving the best of the best when it came to education. According to Biography, Prince William went to Mrs. Mynor's Nursery, followed by Wetherby School and Ludgrove School. At the request of his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William then attended the distinguished Eton College, which is considered "one of England's most prestigious secondary schools."
During this time, the young royal excelled in academics and sports. Sadly, in the late '90s, Prince William was forced to deal with his parents' very public divorce, followed by his mother's tragic death in 1997. Despite the very challenging time, the royal always managed to put aside his personal feelings and consistently gave off a favorable public impression, fully aware of his role as the future king. One thing's for sure: With great wealth and power comes plenty of responsibility, regardless of age.
Prince William received a military salary
In addition to other royal duties, many royal family members close in line to the throne have also had prominent military careers. In keeping with this tradition, Prince William was also in the service. According to British Heritage, the Duke of Cambridge "completed seven-and-a-half years of full-time military service," initially starting as an officer before eventually moving up the ranks to become a lieutenant in the Blues and Royals Regiment and a pilot in the British military. Prince William is also Patron of the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and Honorary Air Commandant of Royal Air Force Coningsby. Definitely impressive.
According to Express, Prince William's exact RAF earnings have never been disclosed. Still, the average salary during his time of service would have been between £37,000 to £45,000 (roughly $49,568 to $60,277). However, there's a bit more clarity on his salary for his work as an East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) pilot in 2014, which is listed as roughly £30,155 after taxes, or about $40,392. Still, it might come as a surprise to learn that the prince wasn't adding his Air Ambulance wages to his personal income, as the article goes on to state that the Duke of Cambridge didn't receive a penny of his earnings from EAAA. Instead, his salary was donated in full to the air ambulance charity. The media outlet adds that Prince William's Air Ambulance job offered him personal growth and helped him remain "grounded."
Most of Prince William's wealth comes from trust funds
Children inherit plenty of things from their parents, but if you're Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, your inheritance includes more than just genetic attributes or an old car. As the future king, this royal family member has received not one trust fund, but two, courtesy of his mother, Princess Diana, and his great-grandmother, the Queen Mother. While both inheritances would be considered desirable to the average person, the trust fund left to Prince William by his mother has more zeros (and makes up more of his wealth) than the money left to him by his great-grandmother does.
According to Forbes, the late Diana Spencer left each of her sons £10 million after taxes (roughly $12.75 million). Each prince initially began receiving the trust in annual dividends at the age of 25. That amount is estimated to have been around $450,000 per year, which is nothing to scoff at. The outlet added that the remaining sum was released to both sons when each turned 30 years old. According to BBC News, the inheritance from the Queen Mother was given to both Prince William and Prince Harry after she passed away in 2002. The amount was estimated to be around £14 million (about $17.9 million) and was divided between the two. However, the payment wasn't evenly split. "The bulk of the cash will go to the younger brother, since William will benefit financially by becoming king," says the news source.
Prince William benefits from the Sovereign Grant
It pays to be royal in more ways than you can imagine. If you're royalty, one incredibly enviable perk is the Sovereign Grant. According to Harper's Bazaar, this grant is actually the primary source of income for the royal family and is paid by the government to "support the queen's official duties."
Additionally, the royal family's official website states that this grant "comes from a percentage of the profits of the Crown Estate revenue." The funds for the grant are reviewed every five years by the Royal Trustees, which are the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Keeper of the Privy Purse.
Like the other royal family members, the Sovereign Grant assists the Duke of Cambridge in various financial ways. For example, Town and Country says that in 2018, the grant covered Prince William's trip to the Middle East, which was approximately £73,938, or roughly $94,000. Having costly expenses like official royal visits covered certainly helps Prince William cut down on spending, and allows him to maintain his enviable net worth.
Prince William will eventually inherit the Duchy of Cornwall
Unlike other dads, Prince William's father, Prince Charles, is next in line for the British throne. According to Celebrity Net Worth, when the Prince of Wales becomes the United Kingdom's king, Prince William will inherit "a billion-dollar real estate portfolio" known as the Duchy of Cornwall. Per its website, the Duchy of Cornwall states that Edward III initially created the private estate in 1337 as a means to provide "independence" to his son and heir, Prince Edward.
According to the Duchy's annual report for 2019, the Prince of Wales received £21.6 million (about $27.4 million) in revenue from the Duchy between March 2018 and March 2019. This income is intended to fund "public, charitable and private activities and those of his family." But, of course, when Prince Charles takes the throne, the estate will then belong to Prince William, who will gain access to all the benefits of the Duchy. Evening Standard states that this will include over 52,660 hectares of land, and over £300 million (over approximately $402,120,000) in commercial properties, including 16 apartments, and 23 houses.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge regularly make charitable donations
With plenty of programs in their Royal Foundation, Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton are no strangers to giving back. Their group assists a wide variety of activities and works on finding sustainable solutions for issues that will have a long-term impact. These focuses include COVID-19, conservation efforts, mental health issues, projects to assist emergency responders, and childcare.
In 2020, Harper's Bazaar announced that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had donated about $2 million to U.K.'s frontline workers and mental health programs through a fund they set up in response to the pandemic. The couple met with representatives of the beneficiaries, and the Duchess expressed her gratitude and "awe" at the work performed by frontline staff and emergency responders. She also noted, "For many of them, their families, and for thousands of others across the U.K., the pandemic will have a lasting impact on their mental health."
In addition to their other humanitarianism, People reported that Prince William also recently donated to the Thin Green Line Foundation. This group provides much-needed income to the relatives of park rangers that were killed in the line of duty. While the amount donated was not released, the foundation's Twitter account thanked the Duke of Cambridge for his assistance, saying they were "very grateful" for his support.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent a pretty penny on home renovations
It's only fitting that a royal couple's home reflects their lavish lifestyle, but of course, living quarters fit for a future king come with a sizable cost. Hello! Magazine reported that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent approximately £1.5 million (equivalent to $2 million) on renovations before moving into their Norfolk property, Anmer Hall. The property was gifted to the royal couple as a wedding gift by the queen in 2011.
Renovations for the property included planting additional trees around the land, updating the main driveway, and moving the main gateway. The last two changes were done in order to provide extra privacy for the couple and their children. Updates were done on the interior as well. Those changes included a new roof, kitchen, and a conservatory.
Anmer Hall used to be the royal couple's primary residency back when Prince William was working as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance. However, they stopped using the property as their main home in 2017, and currently spend most of their time at apartment 1A inside Kensington Palace. Now, the 18th-century dwelling is used as the family's country home.
Raising royal children isn't cheap
Raising a child isn't cheap, and raising three royal children is even more costly. With education, nannies, and clothing as just some of the necessary expenses, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are definitely lucky that their sizable fortune can easily cover these costs. According to CNN Money, the average cost for parents in London to raise one child from birth to 21 years old is typically around $368,000, and that is without adding in the price of private education. However, CNN estimates that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will likely spend at least $1 million, if not more, for each one of their little royal family members.
Insider goes one step further, providing some of specific amounts that Prince William and Kate Middleton currently spend on their children. As of 2018, Princess Charlotte's tuition for nursery school was listed as $19,492 per year, and Prince George's tuition at Thomas's Battersea in London is said to total $240,767 if he attends through his eighth year. The outlet also mentions that if Prince George follows in his father's footsteps and attends Eton College, it will cost the royal couple an additional $55,772 per year. The cost for their nannies is estimated to be somewhere between $36,493 to $58,552, but could very well be higher. Then there's clothing and feeding, which is said to be $200,000 per child, along with an additional $514.10 for Prince George's school uniform.
Prince William owns some luxury items
Considering Prince William's royal status, it is no surprise that the future king of England owns his fair share of luxury items. One of these eye-catching pieces is the Duke of Cambridge's Omega Seamaster Professional watch, which according to Marie Claire, was reportedly a gift from his mother, the late Princess Diana. The Omega watch has been spotted on the prince on various occasions, such as Princess Eugenie's nuptials and his own wedding day with Kate Middleton. Similarly, Express reported that the sentimental watch is thought to have cost approximately £3,000 (about $3,760). The source also noted that the Omega Seamaster is far from the prince's only luxury watch. In addition, the Duke of Cambridge has also worn other Omega watches and pieces from Rolex and Breitling.
In addition to the prince's pricey timepieces, the future king and his wife also enjoy getting behind the wheel and, according to The Sun, have quite an extensive vehicle history. Over the years, Prince William's cars have ranged from an Mk1 Ford Focus, a Volkswagen Golf Mk3, and an Audi A7 to an Audi RS e-tron GT (base price: £110,000 or about $138,000).
The Duke of Cambridge has also been seen riding his stylish Triumph Daytona 600 motorcycle, a Land Rover Discovery, and an Aston Martin DB6. However, the Aston Martin reportedly belongs to his father, Prince Charles, and was only lent to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to use on their wedding day back in 2011.