As one could probably imagine, it pays to be royal. The royal family have some seriously high net worths, and Prince William’s net worth is one of the highest. He’s reportedly worth about over $1 billion in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, a massive increase from his previous net worth of about $40 million. Although the anti-royal citizens of the UK usually complain about how much the royal family costs taxpayers, that’s not where the bulk of William’s money comes from. Sure, taxpayers fund his royal travel and such, but as with Prince Harry, most of Prince William’s wealth comes from private family sources.
Major deaths in the royal family are how the bulk of William’s money came to him, thanks to hefty inheritances. We’re betting William would trade those millions to have gotten to spend more time with his mom, Prince Diana, though.
Aside from inheritances, William also gets money from his father, Prince Charles, like a true millennial. And let’s not forget that he once worked for a living. OK, he didn’t work for his actual living, as his Army salary likely was a drop in the bucket, but he did have a job for several years.
When his dad, King Charles, ascended to the throne, William took his spot as the Prince of Wales, and that comes with a hefty income. From there, when William becomes king, he’ll be worth even more — billions more, to be exact. Here’s a breakdown of what William has right now and what he stands to make in the future.
Princess Diana left William a Hefty Chunk of Change
Upon her death in 1997, Princess Diana’s will stipulated that William and Harry would have access to Diana’s estate trust when they turned 30. The brothers were to split it evenly, with William getting his portion in 2012 and Harry getting his in 2014. When William inherited the money from the trust, his portion was about $12.3 million.
William Also Got Some of Diana’s Jewelry
Princess Diana’s will also said that 75% of her jewelry collection was to be split between William and Harry. The remaining 25% was to be split among her 17 godchildren, although Diana’s family — minus Harry and William — has made it hard for those godchildren to access the jewels. Instead, they said each child could get only one memento of Diana’s family’s choosing.
William Proposed With His Mother’s Ring
One of the pieces of jewelry that came from Princess Diana was her sapphire engagement ring, which Harry gave to William so he could propose to Kate Middleton in 2010. It’s now reportedly worth $500,000, adding a nice half a million to the Cambridge family’s net worth. When Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle, he also did so with diamonds from his mom’s collection.
Diana Also Set Up a Discretionary Fund
In addition to the trust that she left for her sons, Reader’s Digest reported that Princess Diana set up a discretionary fund to help her sons with their future families. She put about $120,000 into it, and it’s grown in interest and income via assets since her death. Both William and Harry can draw from the fund, as can their wives, Kate and Meghan
The Queen Mother Left William Money
William’s great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, died in 2002 and left a large sum to William in a trust. According to The Times, William and Harry received part of a $6 million payout when they each turned 21. The Queen Mother ensured that Harry received a larger portion of that money because he is not the heir to the throne and won’t inherit any money that way like William will.
William Got Another Payout in 2022
Upon their 40th birthdays, William and Harry are entitled to another chunk of money from the Queen Mother’s trust. The Times reported that the brothers will split about $10 million. William turned 40 in 2022 — and presumably received his share — and Harry turns 40 in 2024. It’s likely that the balance of that will again tip in Harry’s favor because he doesn’t hold that heir to the throne power. (Little did the Queen Mother know that Harry wouldn’t even be a working royal anymore by his 40th birthday.)
Money From Dad
Prince William’s father, King Charles, made money from his private estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, and gave a small portion of that money to his sons every year. Records showed that for the 2018-19 fiscal year, William and Harry each got about $6 million from their father’s personal account.
UK Taxpayers Foot the Bills
Will and his family also don’t have to worry too much about their cost of living, as their official royal duties are covered by taxpayer money under the Sovereign Grant. For example, royal records show that Prince William’s 2018 royal tour of Jordan, Israel, and Palestine cost the Sovereign Grant almost $100,000. That’s money he didn’t have to worry about taking out of his own pocket.
A Paying Army Job
Not all of William’s money comes from other people giving it to him. For seven years, William worked in the Army and the Royal Air Force for which he earned a decent annual salary. According to HuffPost, in 2012, William was making about $61,300 per year as a flight lieutenant helicopter pilot on the Search and Rescue team.
Donating His Salary
In 2015, William was promoted to air ambulance pilot. According to CNBC, Prince William decided to donate his $62,000 salary because, let’s face it, he didn’t really need it. He was working less to pay bills and more to hone character. “Doing a job like this really helps me to be grounded and that’s the core of what I’m trying to become,” he said at the time.
Kate Middleton Also Brings Money to the Table
If Will and Kate are the kind of couple who considers their money to be shared, then William can count Kate’s net worth toward his own. Kate may be a commoner, but she comes from a wealthy family, and she used to work at their successful party supply business Party Pieces. According to Yahoo!, the duchess had a personal wealth of about $10 million when she married William.
The Queen Likely Left William Money
Queen Elizabeth reportedly had a personal wealth of about $500 million, according to Forbes. Just like Princess Diana and the queen’s mother left William and Harry money upon their deaths, Queen Elizabeth likely did the same. She had a great number of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and godchildren, but $500 million is a lot to split. William likely inherited a nice chunk of change.
Chris Radburn
When Charles Became King, William Inherited Two New Titles and Lots More Money
Back in September 2022, when William’s grandmother died, his dad became King Charles and he became the Duke of Cornwall and the Prince of Wales. Along with the duke title, he inherited a real estate portfolio dubbed the Duchy of Cornwall that is reportedly worth more than $1 billion, officially making Prince William a billionaire, according to multiple sources.
He’ll Inherit So Much When He’s King
When Prince William eventually becomes king, a giant payday is coming his way. Another Forbes article reports that, as the crown monarch, William will be in charge of $10 billion in real estate, the $5 billion Buckingham Palace, the royal art collection, and an annual government stipend of $12.9 million.
Splash News
… But That’s Not Really His Money
Forbes noted that even though King William will be presiding over billions of dollars, it won’t really be his. The money and palaces and art are tied to the position of being the reigning monarch. When William passes the king title over to his son, Prince George, the wealth will no longer be William’s. As such, he can’t sell the royal assets to make money for his personal accounts; he just gets to temporarily be in charge of it.
.
