Latest news with #WillBax
Times
10 hours ago
- Business
- Times
King Charles's estate to review rents charged to NHS and schools
The King's Duchy of Lancaster will 'actively review' its rental agreements after the royal estates faced criticism for charging rent to the NHS and other taxpayer-funded public bodies, The Times has learnt. Last year it emerged that the royal estates of the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, which provide private incomes to the King and the Prince of Wales, received millions of pounds in rent from public bodies and charities, including schools, the health service and the armed forces. On Monday Will Bax, the secretary and keeper of the records of the Prince of Wales's Duchy of Cornwall, said the estate had reacted to 'media scrutiny' by waiving the rent for grassroots organisations such as the Scouts and halving rates for local community groups. Releasing its annual accounts, Bax said contracts with schools on the 52,000-hectare estate would also be reviewed. There was no mention of rent reductions or reviews for the public bodies such as the Ministry of Defence and the NHS, which lease property from the duchy. The Duchy of Lancaster, however, has now confirmed it will 'actively review' its policies. It said: 'The Duchy of Lancaster has a long-established policy of offering nominal rental rates to small charities and community groups delivering valuable services at a local level. The duchy council actively reviews its policies on an ongoing basis and will continue to consider its future position on this matter to see what further steps may be taken.' On Monday, the Duchy of Cornwall, which funds the office of the Prince of Wales and provides him with a private income, released its annual accounts. The prince received £22.9 million from the estate last year, down from £23.6 million the year before. The estate declined to reveal how much tax the prince had paid but confirmed it was at the 'highest rate'. Releasing the figures, Bax said: 'We have created a new policy relating to rents charged to community groups and local charities, where they are active within our communities. The policy focuses on direct tenants. Going forward, we will waive rents for grassroots community tenants and provide up to a 50 per cent rental discount to local charity tenants who directly rent space from the duchy and are active on the ground within our communities.' • Prince William criticised for keeping Duchy tax payments secret Bax added: 'It would be remiss not to address the media scrutiny the duchy has experienced this year … We have used these challenges to stop and reflect. Both the duke and I are clear that we want the duchy to be world-class in our approach to supporting people, communities and nature to flourish.' The scrutiny on the royal estates came from an analysis of the land by The Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches programme. It compiled details of the commercial rent charged to public bodies, including the NHS and Ministry of Defence. Contracts included a £37.5 million agreement between the Duchy of Cornwall and the Ministry of Justice to lease Dartmoor prison and an £11.4 million deal between Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and the Duchy of Lancaster to rent a London warehouse to store ambulances over a 15-year period. At the time, the Duchy of Lancaster said the estate 'complies with all relevant UK legislation and regulatory standards applicable to its range of business activities'. While the information was already in the public domain, critics questioned whether the agreements should be more readily transparent to taxpayers, who effectively subsidise the duchies through fees levied on schools, the health service and the military. When publishing the most recent report, Bax said: 'I've spent my first eight months at the duchy listening and learning from colleagues, stakeholders, our tenants and partners across the estate, and working closely with the Duke [of Cornwall] to guide this time of reflection and evolution. • King Charles net worth — Sunday Times Rich List 2025 'We are bringing change to the duchy. Whilst this will manifest in different ways, we are particularly refocusing our strategy to maximise the positive impact we have on people, places and the planet.' The latest accounts for the Duchy of Lancaster have yet to be released.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
William reviews rental policy for charities after criticism of Duchy of Cornwall
The Prince of Wales is overseeing an 'era of deep change' at the Duchy of Cornwall in the wake of criticism over multimillion-pound deals the landed estate struck with public bodies. William's duchy, which provides him with a private income of nearly £23 million a year, has launched a policy review of the rents it receives from charities and grassroots community groups. Will Bax, the duchy's new secretary and keeper of records – who took on the role at the start of 2025, revealed, as the estate published its annual accounts on Monday, that grassroots groups – such as an orchard used for therapeutic gardening – who are direct tenants will have their rents waived, while local charities will see up to a 50% reduction in rent. He said William wanted to ensure the duchy operated in a 'modern, socially minded way' and that the rents being saved amounted to a 'very significant sum'. It follows an investigation last November into the prince's Duchy and the Duchy of Lancaster estate, which provides a private income for the King, by Channel 4's Dispatches and The Sunday Times which found the estates had secured rental agreements worth millions of pounds with the armed forces, the NHS and state schools. Mr Bax said the duchy was also looking at including schools in the community groups who would be eligible for the rent waiver. The investigation last year revealed the duchy was set to earn around £600,000 over the lifetime of six different leases agreed with local state schools. William is the 25th Duke of Cornwall, following in the footsteps of his father the King after becoming entitled to the duchy's profits when he became heir to the throne. Mr Bax said: 'It would be remiss not to address the media scrutiny the duchy has experienced this past year. 'We've used these challenges as an opportunity to stop and reflect both the duke and I are clear that we want the duchy to be world class in our approach to supporting people, communities and nature to flourish and to realise that aim, we must operate and communicate in a modern, socially minded way.' He added: 'It's clear we've entered an era of deep change, but we change, not because we disrespect our past, but precisely because we do respect it.' The policy review will, however, not alter commercial relationships with public bodies such as the Ministries of Defence and Justice. Mr Bax said: 'There are certain groups that we feel it right and proper that we have market based arms-length relationships with in public sector terms. For example, our Management Act requires that, public sector procurement rules require that.' The Dispatches and Sunday Times report showed the duchy signed a £37 million deal in 2022, before Charles became King and William the Prince of Wales, to lease Dartmoor Prison to the Ministry of Justice, paying £1.5 million a year over 25 years, and a deal with the Ministry of Defence to allow the Armed Forces to train on Dartmoor land. It also said the Duchy of Cornwall had charged the Navy nearly £1 million since 2004 to build and use jetties and moor warships on the coastline. Accounts released on Monday showed the duchy generated profits of £22.9 million, down £700,000 from £23.6 million the previous financial year (2023-2024). The money is used to fund the charitable, private and official lives of William, the Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Kensington Palace said the number of staff employed by the couple's household has risen to 68 from 66 including secondees. Diversity figures show 13.2% of staff were from an ethnic minority background, down marginally from 14% of staff the year before, and that 70.6% of Kensington Palace staff are female and 29.4% male. The Palace confirmed the prince pays the highest rate of income tax once official costs have been deducted, but the amount he paid in tax was not disclosed. The King, as the previous Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, disclosed the voluntary tax he paid in his annual Clarence House review – £5.892 million in 2021/22. Charles's annual review would also detail his broad income and expenditure of the duchy money, plus details of the number of valets, housekeepers, dressers, chefs, butlers and gardeners he employed, and his tax bill. But William has ended this level of disclosure since he became the Prince of Wales, and no such detail is provided for the Waleses's household. The Duchy said: 'While marginally down on the previous year, the Duchy is pleased to have remained resilient amid continued economic uncertainty.' Other updates at the Palace briefing included news that water voles have been successful reintroduced to the River Fowey's wetland corridor in Restormel after becoming extinct in the region in the 1990s. The Duchy is also working to improve rivers by tackling abandoned boats, with 11 removed from the River Avon so far and taken away to be recycled. William also stepped in to help Cornish football team Mousehole AFC who were struggling with access to their club down a pothole-ridden lane. Emerging as a reader of The Guardian where he learned about the issue, William brought together a coalition of people to solve the problem, with construction work due to begin on a new road this week. Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state, highlighted that William's £23 million a year income was 138 times more than the Prime Minister's salary. Graham Smith, Republic's chief executive, said: 'It's time the Duchies were taken off royal hands, and it's time these figures were released by government to Parliament, where they can be properly scrutinised.' Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace confirmed the King has appointed William and Kate as grantors of Royal Warrants. A Royal Warrant of Appointment is granted as a mark of recognition to people or companies who have regularly supplied goods or services to the Royal Household. Any of the King and Queen's current Royal Warrant holders can apply to be granted a further Royal Warrant from the prince and princess, with a deadline of the end of July. Firms without existing Royal Warrants will be able to apply next year.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Prince William's Duchy of Cornwall to allow some charities to use buildings rent-free after backlash
Prince William's Duchy of Cornwall will allow certain charities to use its buildings rent-free after facing criticism over multimillion-pound deals the landed estate struck with public bodies. William's duchy, which provides him with a private income of nearly £23m a year, has launched a review which means that grassroots groups - such as an orchard used for therapeutic gardening - that are direct tenants will now have their rents waived, while local charities will see up to a 50% reduction in rent. While the amount receives from the duchy was also revealed at a briefing about the duchy annual "impact report", it again failed to say how much tax he pays. His private secretary Ian Patrick only confirming that "the Prince of Wales pays the highest rate of income tax". Talking about the rent change, Will Bax, the duchy's new secretary and keeper of records said: "It would be remiss not to address the media scrutiny the duchy has experienced this past year. "We've used these challenges as an opportunity to stop and reflect, both the duke and I are clear that we want the duchy to be world class in our approach to supporting people, communities and nature to flourish and to realise that aim, we must operate and communicate in a modern, socially-minded way." He added: "It's clear we've entered an era of deep change, but we change, not because we disrespect our past, but precisely because we do respect it." The change follows an investigation last November into the prince's duchy and the Duchy of Lancaster estate, which provides a private income for the King, by Channel 4's Dispatches and The Sunday Times, which found the estates had secured rental agreements worth millions of pounds with the armed forces, the NHS and state schools. Mr Bax said the duchy was also looking at including schools in the community groups that would be eligible for the rent waiver. The investigation last year revealed the duchy was set to earn around £600,000 over the lifetime of six different leases agreed with local state schools. The policy review will, however, not alter commercial relationships with public bodies such as the ministries of defence and justice. Read more: Mr Bax said: "There are certain groups that we feel it right and proper that we have market-based arms-length relationships with in public sector terms. For example, our Management Act requires that, public sector procurement rules require that." William is the 25th Duke of Cornwall, after becoming entitled to the duchy's profits when he became heir to the throne. Accounts released on Monday showed the duchy generated profits of £22.9m, down £700,000 from £23.6m the previous financial year (2023-24). The money is used to fund the charitable, private and official lives of William, the Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. It was revealed that last year the prince and princess personally donated to a number of charities and voluntary groups including organisations set up by the parents of the girls murdered in Southport last summer and funding a new car for a Norfolk charity that transports blood. Prince William's private secretary also said the royal closely follows the ongoing humanitarian situation in the Middle East and has made donations to organisations working there. Their charity donations are subtracted before tax. The King, as the previous Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, disclosed the voluntary tax he paid in his annual Clarence House review - £5.892m in 2021-22.
Sky News
2 days ago
- Business
- Sky News
Prince William's Duchy of Cornwall to allow some charities to use buildings rent-free after backlash
Prince William's Duchy of Cornwall will allow certain charities to use its buildings rent-free after facing criticism over multimillion-pound deals the landed estate struck with public bodies. William's duchy, which provides him with a private income of nearly £23m a year, has launched a review which means that grassroots groups - such as an orchard used for therapeutic gardening - that are direct tenants will now have their rents waived, while local charities will see up to a 50% reduction in rent. While the amount William receives from the duchy was also revealed at a briefing about the duchy annual "impact report", it again failed to say how much tax he pays. His private secretary Ian Patrick only confirming that "the Prince of Wales pays the highest rate of income tax". Talking about the rent change, Will Bax, the duchy's new secretary and keeper of records said: "It would be remiss not to address the media scrutiny the duchy has experienced this past year. "We've used these challenges as an opportunity to stop and reflect, both the duke and I are clear that we want the duchy to be world class in our approach to supporting people, communities and nature to flourish and to realise that aim, we must operate and communicate in a modern, socially-minded way." He added: "It's clear we've entered an era of deep change, but we change, not because we disrespect our past, but precisely because we do respect it." The change follows an investigation last November into the prince's duchy and the Duchy of Lancaster estate, which provides a private income for the King, by Channel 4's Dispatches and The Sunday Times, which found the estates had secured rental agreements worth millions of pounds with the armed forces, the NHS and state schools. Mr Bax said the duchy was also looking at including schools in the community groups that would be eligible for the rent waiver. The investigation last year revealed the duchy was set to earn around £600,000 over the lifetime of six different leases agreed with local state schools. The policy review will, however, not alter commercial relationships with public bodies such as the ministries of defence and justice. 3:33 Mr Bax said: "There are certain groups that we feel it right and proper that we have market-based arms-length relationships with in public sector terms. For example, our Management Act requires that, public sector procurement rules require that." William is the 25th Duke of Cornwall, after becoming entitled to the duchy's profits when he became heir to the throne. Accounts released on Monday showed the duchy generated profits of £22.9m, down £700,000 from £23.6m the previous financial year (2023-24). The money is used to fund the charitable, private and official lives of William, the Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. It was revealed that last year the prince and princess personally donated to a number of charities and voluntary groups including organisations set up by the parents of the girls murdered in Southport last summer and funding a new car for a Norfolk charity that transports blood. Prince William's private secretary also said the royal closely follows the ongoing humanitarian situation in the Middle East and has made donations to organisations working there. Their charity donations are subtracted before tax. The King, as the previous Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, disclosed the voluntary tax he paid in his annual Clarence House review - £5.892m in 2021-22.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Royal Aides Reveal Prince William Is "Pretty Demanding" and "Impatient" Regarding One Aspect of His Work
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Prince William has been taking on more responsibilities within the Royal Family in recent years, and he has also taken over the Duchy of Cornwall. In a new profile of the Prince of Wales, royal aides discussed William's approach to running the duchy, which reportedly includes some "demanding" behavior and a degree of "impatience." The Telegraph recently accompanied the Prince of Wales when he visited the Duchy of Cornwall. Consisting of "128,494 acres of land across 20 counties," William inherited the duchy when his father, King Charles, acceded the throne. The Duchy of Cornwall is a huge source of income for Prince William, who charges rent on properties and land within the hereditary estate. Discussing William's approach to managing the Duchy of Cornwall, secretary Will Bax told the outlet, "He's easy to follow because he's got great conviction and personality, and he really wears his heart on his sleeve in terms of social interest and his desire to have a positive impact in the world." Bax also called William "pretty demanding," before saying the attribute is "great," especially as the prince is "pretty ambitious." Estate director Ben Murphy discussed Prince William's approach to working within the Duchy of Cornwall, revealing that the royal has a "healthy impatience, as his father did." However, Murphy suggested William's " the wind in our sails; he really cares." William himself opened up about the work he's doing within the Duchy of Cornwall, including building additional houses to help people who are unhoused. "I see the duchy as an extension of the work we do with the Royal Foundation," Prince William told The Telegraph. The Prince of Wales elaborated, "I see it as a branch of my so much good we can do in the rural world. I see [the duchy] as another arm to the work that I want to do, which is being a positive force for good." Bax confirmed William's aims, telling the outlet, "He's a man on a asking us to change and evolve in a way to deliver positive impact at scale and at pace."
