It was meant to be Prince William’s ‘Super Bowl moment’ as a ‘global statesman’. At least, that’s what Palace aides – perhaps hyperbolically – had been calling it. Fresh from the launch of his TV documentary series, We Can End Homelessness, charting his Homewards initiative, the Prince of Wales travelled to South Africa for the Earthshot Prize he founded. The trip was meant to signal the prince stepping up, both in terms of representing the UK Government (meeting the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa) and in his charitable campaigning.

But that has not been the story playing out at home in the UK, where a Channel 4 documentary, The King, The Prince And Their Secret Millions, has sparked controversy over how William and King Charles procure their personal fortunes. The investigation by Dispatches, alongside The Sunday Times and Sunday Mirror, claims that charities, the NHS and the British armed forces are charged millions for use of properties and land on the Duchy of Cornwall (belonging to the Prince of Wales) and Duchy of Lancaster (belonging to the King). Ever since the duchies were established in the 14th century, revenue from these private estates has contributed to the private incomes of the monarch and their heir.

In the documentary viewers are told, ‘Charles and William’s private estates claim they are not funded by the taxpayer. But [Dartmoor Prison] is just one example of many where they are making an income from the taxpayer.’ William’s Duchy was found to have signed a £37.5 million deal to lease Dartmoor Prison for 25 years to the Ministry of Justice, which is still liable for repairs. Separately, it charged the Ministry of Defence more than £1 million to build and use jetties that moor its warships at Devonport in nearby Plymouth, and charged the Army to train troops on Dartmoor.

However, it is the allegations about horrendous living conditions for some Duchy of Cornwall tenants in residential homes – reportedly with no central heating, mouldy walls and lack of proper insulation – that will really hurt William.

A spokesperson for The Duchy of Cornwall said in a statement, ‘[This] is a private estate with a commercial imperative, which we achieve alongside our commitment to restoring the natural environment and generating positive social impact for our communities,’ adding that Prince William had made ‘significant investment to make the estate net zero by the end of 2032, as well as establishing targeted mental health support for our tenants’. A spokesperson for the Duchy of Lancaster, meanwhile, said it ‘complies with all relevant UK legislation and regulatory standards applicable to its range of business activities’.

It’s a PR disaster every which way. At best, it makes William look like an ignorant landlord and, at worst, a hypocrite (‘How can he say he helps the homeless when he doesn’t even look after his tenants?’ one tenant said to me.) and gives ammunition to those who call for an end to the monarchy. ‘Whatever your views on the royal family, we can surely all agree that they shouldn’t be profiting from our NHS,’ NHS Million, an unofficial NHS campaign run by NHS staff, posted on X. It also makes the efforts of William and Kate to seem ‘just like us’ risible.

In the last financial year, William was given £23.6 million from his duchy, and Charles received £27.4 million from his. These funds are considered to be private income and are in addition to the millions the royals get annually from taxpayers via the Sovereign Grant. The duchies are also exempt from capital gains and corporation tax. True, Charles and William do both pay income tax voluntarily on their earnings – but unlike his father, William has chosen not to reveal his income tax bill. At a time when many households are struggling with the cost of living, the findings are bound to provoke.

It’s fair to say that it’s been quite the annus horribilis for William and Kate and this latest storm is the last thing they need. ‘It’s been dreadful,’ William told reporters at the end of his visit to South Africa. ‘It’s probably been the hardest year in my life. So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.’ 

The year started with Kate’s surgery, then her cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy; a dark time compounded by Charles’s ill health. Criticism about Kate’s photoshopped Mother’s Day photo sent their PR strategy into crisis mode as conspiracy theories about Kate swirled on social media.

‘In the early days, it was all William and Catherine could do just to put one step in front of the other, to keep everything as normal as possible for the children,’ a friend says. ‘He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders and there have been some really difficult times. For William it has been getting back to the day job, his duty and charity work that has sustained him.’

It has been a torrid year but, despite this new blow, they are determined to stay focused on what matters. For the princess, her health and her family come first. She will host her annual Christmas carol concert next month and slowly resume public duties, although not nearly so many as before.

The Prince of Wales will continue to support his father and will hold an ever more important role as his time for the throne nears. His vision for the future monarchy is becoming clear: a limited number of high-impact engagements and events rather than the paternalistic, seen-to-be-believed, helicopter-riding royal attitude of old. And surely sending a courtier to sort out the inadequate Duchy of Cornwall homes.