Prince William Is Set To Receive A Major Royal Inheritance After The Queen's Death

Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II, many royals were given new titles. Prince William was given the formal titles previously held by the newly appointed King Charles III and is now the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cornwall, per Us Weekly. But beyond titles, the royal family also saw changes to their wallets. Money surrounding the royal family has always been a point of contention — and confusion. Many people, including the British, are unaware of how the royals actually make money and how much they earn, per Oprah Daily. To put it simply, the royals are paid through a mix of private and public money. They also earn money through their estates (which are vast) and inheritances.

Upon her death, CNN reports that the queen had a net worth of $500 million, which includes the sum of her jewel and art collections, her residences, and her investments. Unfortunately for many curious bystanders, the queen's will is kept wholly private, so the public does not get to know exactly where this money goes. We do know that the new king will receive the bulk of it — but what about his children, William and Harry? It has recently been reported that Prince William is set to receive a large inheritance now that the queen has passed, but where the inheritance comes from may surprise you.

The death of Queen Elizabeth II has meant big changes for the royal family: most significantly, the family's new titles. For Prince William, his title means a bit more as he is now the first in line to become king, per CNN. And being the heir to the throne also means a big jump in income. As the king's direct heir, Prince William is set to inherit money in the form of a large property most recently owned by his father, King Charles III.

The Duchy of Cornwall estate is an enormous property, spanning over 140,000 acres and is said to be worth about $1.2 billion. The property, which was created by King Edward III in 1337, has been in the royal family for centuries, per Entertainment Tonight. Revenue earned by the large estate is "used to fund the public, private and charitable activities of the Duke of Cornwall," a title now held by Prince William. According to Deseret News, King Charles III earned about $23 million in assets from the Duchy of Cornwall estate in 2021, meaning Prince William is about to be a much richer man.

While a new title and a new estate are sure to expand Prince William's financial portfolio, the new Duke of Cornwall was already quite wealthy. According to Fortune, before his inheritance, Prince William was said to have a net worth of about $40 million. The majority of this income comes from the inheritance him and his brother, Prince Harry, were left by their late mother Princess Diana. Upon her untimely death in 1997, the princess left each of her sons $10 million before taxes with a stipulation that they would each receive an annual dividend of $450,000 when they turned 25 years old. Both Prince Harry and Prince William received the full amount of the inheritance on their 30th birthdays.

According to CNN, the majority of the money earned from the Duchy of Cornwall estate is used to pay the staff and maintain the property. Still, per Fortune, Prince William will expect to receive about $20 million per year in income from the estate, adding to his personal fortune.