Anti-monarchy group Republic has reacted to latest allegations against King Charles and his elder son Prince William, and called on the government to abolish the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster.
The campaigners have called on the government to abolish the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster, and bring their assets and income under direct state ownership.
In a statement, the Republic says the call comes after a Dispatches, Sunday Times and Mirror investigation into the huge profits made at the expense of charities and public services, and the shocking standard of Duchy of Cornwall rental properties.
“The Duchies are not the private property of Charles and William, as the royals imply, but are Crown assets belonging to the state,” the statement says.
Republic CEO Graham Smith says, “The Dispatches investigation shows how the Duchies are doggedly pursuing profit at every turn, at huge expense to the public and charities.”
The Duchies are not private property, they are state assets. Parliament allowed the royals to maintain control over these estates when other land was surrendered three centuries ago. It’s time parliament abandoned that arrangement.”
According to reports, the private estates of the monarch and his elder son have received almost £50 million of income from contracts with public bodies and charities, as claimed in a new investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches and the Sunday Times.
