Apparently, there’s a new book about Prince Harry coming out called Harry: A Biography of a Prince. I realize that they have to make the titles bland on purpose, but if I ever wrote a biography of Harry, I think I would argue with my editor that it should be called Ginger Fire: The Second Son, or something like that. Isn’t that punchier? Anyway, this one was written by Angela Levin and she has some insight into Harry’s relationship with his step-mother Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Honestly, Levin might have some insights – it seems that she actually did interview Harry – before his marriage to Meghan – and she’s covered him for years. Apparently, she had a lot of access to Kensington Palace. This is what was said about Camilla:
“To be honest, she’s always been very close to me and William,” Harry told Levin, according to the author. “She’s not a wicked stepmother. Look at the position she’s coming into. Don’t feel sorry for me and William, feel sorry for her. She’s a wonderful woman and she’s made our father very, very happy which is the most important thing. William and I love her to bits.”
Levin wrote both William and Harry were told Camilla was going to become their stepmother in 2004.
“It couldn’t have been easy for Prince Charles to tell his sons that the woman blamed for the breakup of his marriage to their mother was going to become their stepmother, but in the autumn of 2004 that’s what he did,” she wrote. “Harry accepted that Camilla had been in his father’s life for a very long time and had grown to like her. Since he was a small child he has been able to see things from other people’s points of view.”
I believe it? Mostly because I’ve never bought the narrative that William and Harry are carrying on their mother’s grudge, decades later. If anything, I think William has fewer problems with Camilla than he has with Charles. And Harry… well, Harry just wants peace, and he can see that Camilla has made Charles happy, and that they’re a better “fit.”
Levin also included some details and observations about Diana which probably won’t get her any more access to the palace – Levin says that after Diana and Charles separated, Diana “behaved very badly…She introduced them to a whole string of men. They would have to call them ‘uncle.’ She very, very badly wanted her sons to like her men.” Yeah… I mean, Diana definitely introduced a few of her lovers to her sons, but I don’t think it was this “string of men.” Did Hasnat Khan even meet Harry and William?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
They needed a Mum…she’s a good Mum…and they responded as children often do regarding their parents’ messy AF situations…
Been there…done that…
Am glad he is not angry or bitter. They have had been gracious and haven’t said unkind things about any of their family. I think neither of them say much that they do not mean.
Both fully control their inhertitances from mom, great grandmother queen mum, and their maternal grandmother. Private money. They are not beholden to any gravy train, dad or taxpayer.
Have to laugh when brits accuse them of mooching off them. They could say Bye Bye!
Neither owe anyone anything.
William always looks like he hates parading his tiny children. He doesn’t have to. He does it out of respect for his father and the Queen. And for the public.
But If the public tire of him, he would probably have no trouble respecting their wishes and leaving. He does not need the taxpayers money. Neither does his brother.
Diana left the boys around £10m each, and the Queen Mother left £14m between the two of them (more for Harry than William). Even wisely invested, that’s not enough to keep them in the lifestyle to which they are accustomed. William, Kate and Harry cost the Duchy of Cornwall around £5m per year (it’s in Charles’s accounts). Which will likely go up now that there’s Meghan. They could give it all up, but they’d have to live very differently to how they live now.
Also, being a step-mom can be a thankless job.
You’ve got a take a backseat to your spouse parenting and still be their for your step kids when they need you.
It’s a tricky balance that Camilla did pretty well from the look things
Well, Harry’s had to deal with those James Hewitt rumors because of his mother, so he probably figures both were doing stuff so why hold a grudge against one parent and not the other.
They did meet Hasnat Khan. I really like and admire Diana, but I can completely buy what the author is selling here. It seems in keeping with some of her other messy behavior.
Not surprised they love Camilla and it would be to no one’s benefit if they walked around harboring hostility to her. She actually seems like a fun, likable lady. I’ve never been on the hate train.
It’s nothing to me, but I can look with a jaundiced eye at the poor behavior of all involved – Charles, Diana, Camilla, Camilla’s first husband – and think that no one is right or wrong, but Charles and Di are still alive. They seem great together. She seems like a likeable, intelligent person. She and Charles were very naughty, but I don’t care.
I knew a couple of chaps up at Eton at the same time as the little Princes. The boys locked themselves in their rooms for a whole day after the Panorama interview. They were profoundly devastated. Can’t forgive her for doing such damage to her children. The later revelations about her attention seeking behaviour were bad enough, but this was above and beyond selfish.
The airing of Charles tampon tape and his own televised interview didn’t go over great either with those boys. Those tapes and interviews humiliated the shand kids as well.
All parents should get failing grades for how they behaved towards all the children from these marriages.
@Hershey I agree that his/their behaviour was far from ideal. Nauseating, in fact. But another fact remains: the boys were devastated and traumatised by what was seen as a profound betrayal by their mother. And that in se is unforgivable.
They seem to have forgiven a mother they called beloved last year in their tribute. She is not anyone else’s mom? They are the only two entitled to forgive or not.
And they seem to have emerged prepared to forgive many parties who had a hand in their crazy upbringing. Leaving them free to move on, not bogged down stewing in the past.
Camilla and Charles tortured Diana. No question about that. But somewhere along the line, Diana most likely taught those boys that hate will eat you up, and that you’ve got to move on (just like she did) and live your life. Even though I’m sure it’s hard as hell, I’m glad that he has a healthy perspective.
I very much doubt Diana taught them that- she was manipulative and vindictive, particularly in how she used the press and media. Both she and Charles were as bad as each other; I really dislike this St Diana narrative because it’s simply untrue. I can well believe she introduced her sons to a multitude of men.
None of those parents, Camilla included put their kids first. Saint applies to none of them.
Yes, they tortured her. She was young and naive and went into that marriage thinking she was getting a husband and instead found out pretty quickly that she was a baby maker. I won’t believe otherwise.
I never said Diana was a saint, or even a good parent, nor a good person…neither are Charles and Camilla. All are FAR from it. However she did get herself out of that marriage and moved on with her life. She led by an example of get over it and move on. That was my point. I would greatly appreciate it if you didn’t put words into my mouth. Thank you.
LOL.
Diana was intensely selfish and manipulative and I think she tried so hard to drive a wedge between her boy and their father. I never got the St Diana thing either – she knew what she was marrying into – her family are aristocracy and had moved in royal circles for centuries.
I think all credit goes to both boys for being so gracious about Camilla, and Cam has big cojones for dealing with the crap she has put up with from the media all these years. #TeamCam
There seems to be a fair amount of selfishness to share amongst the parents involved in the affairs and media storm.
The Parker Bowles kids were embarrassed at school too. And they were humiliated when Charles admitted doing their mom on tv. Camilla didn’t give the tv interview. But her boyfriend did. And she stayed with him afterward.
Singling any one parent out can’t be done. Bits about Charles being highly difficult are out there too. And there are some that feel Camilla is still putting old dirt out to redeem her image.
Anything Diana is accused of, Charles and Camilla have engaged in as well. All three of them had children and all three behaved badly.
Call them all monsters or just adults making mistakes, but all did some things not great for the kids.
Well, we all know who pays William and Harry’s bills…
Maybe they do like her, shrug, but let’s not forget that these two are very firmly on the gravy train.
Exactly I Felt sick by this interview. I hope it’s not true. After all what Charles and. Camilla did to his mom.
Camilla makes me sick too. But if Harry is happy? Am just glad those two kiddos have moved past tragic childhoods.
You hope what’s not true? That Harry is happy and well-adjusted?
Or that he’s moved on while you still hold a grudge on behalf of a woman you never met that has been dead for 20 years?
That is the arrangement. But both boys were left huge piles of private money by their mom, the queen mother, Frances?? Diana’s mom.
If William and Harry went to the queen unhappy about the money situation with dad, she would fix it.
They are beholden to no one. Not dad and not the taxpayer. They are both able to say kiss off at any time.
Hershey I think they were left around £25m each, by Diana+the Queen mum. Hardly a fortune to sustain their workshy and extremely extravagant lifestyles. It’s a lot of money for us plebs, but it won’t buy you a 20+ room ‘apartment’ in Kensington, I can tell you that. Apparently these fools cost Charles £5m a year – not including security and housing…soo how far do you reckon £25m would get them? Even with fantastic investments…not that far.
Look, I hope he likes Camilla. I hope Camilla likes him. But he knows on which side his bread is buttered, and he’d be an idiot to do anything but gush about her.
@Clare,
Their private money would not support 20 room apartments a Kensington. Very true. Especially at market value. Would not support the public role they currently have. No foreign trips.
The money they have would be blown quickly if they tried to live like the beckhams. Or God forbid the jolie pitt kids people keep saying need 10million a year.
The country Eton friends do not raise their kids on 10mil a year. They would not want to. They would call that child abuse.
Zara Philips earns a decent living, so not perfect example, but that is a lifestyle a non public royal can happily live.
The Eton friends are not All living in palaces or buying planes. It’s not a group with huge amounts of liquid cash.
If pushed hard enough, I think they could live quite happily like their friends do. On private money.
The security is not an issue. If they need it, government has to pay for it.
They would probably need to reign in the polo, or find sponsors. String of ponies cost a lot. But William is close to 40.
I think they stay because there is duty. I think William seems pretty unhappy putting his kids out there.
Point I am trying to make is that William is not just a mooch on the British public. He has been giving since he got on a plane for his first foreign tour in 1982.
He has taken. Moving a tennis court a few feet is ridiculous. But also given much in his public life since he was a tiny boy.
We see William’s children very little, which is fine. (It’s a bit annoying that they are seen in public much more often outside the UK than in it, but whatever). The Queen is not going to give William and Harry money when Charles is easily able to fund them from the Duchy of Cornwall. The Queen has Andrew, Anne, Edward etc to support from the Sovereign Grant and the Duchy of Lancaster, not to mention the elderly Gloucesters, Kents etc who do public duties.
And William, in particular, does very few royal duties compared to the luxury lifestyle he is living. It is extremely unlikely that he would want to live on the (at most) £2m per year his inheritance would bring in, if invested wisely. That is what top bankers and law firm partners make, and they don’t live country estate lifestyles. A town house in Battersea and a small farmhouse in the country is more like it.
True. Did anyone really expect Harry to turn around and say that he and William actually hate her guts? Harry has been raised as a royal prince and a gentleman and l do not expect him to make anything but positive statements about his fathers wife.
What excatly should Harry and Will have said about Camilla? Charles controls the Duchy. Even if they felt some type of way, will they want to risk access to millions if Charles withholds it? Angela Levin won’t be frozen out of the palace for saying Diana behaved badly. Even if she’s frozen out of KP, Clarence House would definitely welcome her.
They inherited private money that Charles does not control. Charles funding them is apparently what works. But William and Harry are adults. They both work for the monarchy now. If Charles has a problem, the queen could pay them from same pot as princess Anne or Andrew and Edward
I think to most of us the private money Harry has , I’ve seen it estimated from 16 million to 39 million, is enormous but from what I can see, even with the subsidized/ free housing and other perks, his way of living would run through it quickly. I know the $ spent on Harry and William are presented as a total together, but I wonder if Charles has plans to provide for Harry rather than the year to year support, because of Charles passes away sooner than expected, though William will probably support his brother, I wonder how generously. Because it seems to me the queens children Andrew & Edward have hustled for $ past and present. Sorry for the run on sentences and tangent topic.
Whatever it is, it is double digit millions. If they waved goodbye, their lives would totally change. They would live private lives. They could not support a royal public life, taking expensive foreign tours for the government.
But private individuals don’t have to live like royals. Both have suffered personally from living in the firm. Think they do it out of duty. William would probably be fine living like his inlaws.
William looks a very frustrated dad when he has to take his kids out in public. I think he cares far more about his family than an over the top royal lifestyle. He’s got enough in the bank to take his family and buy a house in the country.
And the queens kids did not inherit as much private money. Their parents are still alive. And I don’t think Andrew or Edward would want to leave their royal lifestyles. Neither appear to have suffered as much as their nephews from being royals
I don’t think that the private fortune that the Princes have could support them in a private life because they would still have to pay for round the clock first rate security, which doesn’t come cheaply. These two boys have no choice, they are locked into royal life which l can’t see them leaving. They definitely realise that they also need each other to survive royal life.
@princessk,
Security is determined by the government according to need. If they are deemed to be at risk because of royal or government ties they are protected by the government.
Edward the viii left on pretty poor terms with his government. He had security for the rest of his life no matter which country he lived in. For free.
The lease on Anmer was previously held by a private family, friends of Charles. It is not a palace. It’s just a big family pile that any guy with millions could afford.
William keeling the lease would depend on who is monarch and circumstances.
Every royal previously has had less personal cash under their control. Almost all royals before seem to cherish their royal position and would not part with it for anything. These two are different. They appear to treated differently.
William seems to feel a sense of duty, especially to his grandmother. He sounds genuine. But he has started to look like he is at the end of his wits when he is out with his kids and the cameras are flashing. He is willing to let his son hide behind him at a wedding on the steps at Windsor. His kids are first.
Edward viii walked away just fine. With less personal money. For selfish reasons. Government wanted him gone true, but a lot has changed.
I don’t think it is highly likely he will leave. But his loyalty to his dad doesn’t seem as binding as his loyalty to his grandmother. Harry doesn’t seem too miserable in public. He seems like more of an extrovert. He would probably do whatever his brother asked of him. Stay behind or double exit.
The British seem to take William and Harry for granted. There seems to be a presumption the public are putting up with them.
I think they see themselves owing their nation and grandmother a duty to continue in her role. But if the public tear their families up, I have a feeling they may see their duty to their families first. How George feels about his future will likely be a factor too.
William has said on camera he is a father first. Several times. He sounds like he means it. Security cannot be taken from him unless he is not at risk.
Doria has the same personal protection officer as a royal. She isn’t in line for the throne, british, or even in UK. She is is entitled because she is at risk because of her affiliation with the royal family.
Security is not any kind of issue at all.
Any exit deal would likely involve lifetime security paid for by the taxpayers, like we give to former prime ministers (I was once on vacation at the same place as Tony Blair and his four full time police officers). But I definitely agree that they wouldn’t have nearly the lifestyle to which they are accustomed now. I can’t see William, in particular, being happy to live a lifestyle less than that of his Etonian friends.
@Tina
Thank you
At the beginning they (the firm) prevented Charles to marry the woman he loved because divorced (like with Margareth, I’m binge watching The Crown this summer) and the result was a mess, obviously.
The royal family was awful with Diana? Yes it was.
BUT: Diana was not a saint, and mostly she knew how to manipulate the press.
The boys were in the middle of one of the messiest divorce case I have ever seen, and with international level of attention, then Diana died, and they had to move on and put everything in perspective: that is their family now.
Have always thought the best argument against keeping the royal family is the way the institution ruins the private lives of its members.
Margaret not being allowed to marry her first choice. Which led to her super happy next choice.
Not letting Charles marry Camilla back in 1973 or whatever.
The ridiculous marriage of a teenager to a 33year old man, who preferred someone else. When they barely knew one another. Because a virgin was needed.
The somewhat pushy divorce of Andrew and Fergie. Yeah she did gross things with her toes. But they stayed together and parented better than many ciuples. But weren’t allowed to remarry.
Rules of the house of Windsor have brought a lot of pain and PR mess down on them.
American. Just my opinion. Not really my business
“Have always thought the best argument against keeping the royal family is the way the institution ruins the private lives of its members.”
I am Italian and I am totally with you.
They ruined a lot of life and created a lot of unhappiness, at a certain point you understand why Edward went all: “you know what? Screw you”.
Camilla didn’t want to marry Charles back then. She wanted a fling with the Prince of Wales, but she wanted to marry Andrew Parker-Bowles. Just like Princess Anne wanted to marry APB too.
@notasugarhere
Yeah, sounds like she wanted APB. Have seen pictures of APB in the 70s, can see why all wanted him.
Real point, was whatever the plans were for Charles were, a mess was created. He was pining for someone married to someone else. So of course marrying him to a teenager was the best choice!
I get the point being made here but technically Diana wasn’t a “teen-ager” when she married Charles. She was 20. Still very young but older than many we send to war. And I believe Charles was 32, not 33. No reason to tack on an extra year to his age and subtract one from hers just to make a point.
Sometimes children forgive their parents for cheating and develop a relationship with the new spouse who cheated with their parent. This happens all over the world so there is no reason why William and Harry wouldn’t be the same. It’s only the Diana stans who can’t accept that Harry and William are ok with Camilla. William was the best man at the wedding. No one forced him to do that. Harry in particular is seen to be close to his father and both William and Harry have never said a bad word about Camilla.
It’s healthiest for the kids if they are allowed to form their own feelings about stepparents. And than have the feelings respected by all.
William is close friends with the son of the family that enabled that relationship. He has no problem raising his kids in the country pile where Charles and Camilla had their relationship. If he had a problem with it, he would have accepted the estate The Duchy purchased for him and Kate back in 2007.
@notasugarhere
He was very close to that family and their sons.
Anmer is a house on Sandringham that can be privately leased. Diana was born in a similar house leased on the estate by her father before he inherited. And before that by her maternal grandparents. Courtiers to queen and queen mother.
So house was previously not used to house royal family. William was gifted the lease, not the house.
Duchy house on offer is owned by dad. Supposedly William didn’t want the strings. And his kids are getting an upbringing similar to his mom’s when they are in Norfolk.
You’re not negating anything here. William chooses to be close to the family that enabled his father and step-mother’s relationship while both were married to other people. He could have chosen a different house, but he has no problem raising his family there. As he’s shown he has no problem being unfaithful, the choice doesn’t surprise me.
I’ve never said Anmer was privately given, it is merely grace-and-favour for them to live in now. HM had to buy out the previous lease holders into the bargain, with private money because it is her private estate. Continues to be owned privately by Lizzie Windsor. It was lived in years ago, before the Van C’s, by the Duke and Duchess of Kent. The Kents lived there G&F for almost 20 years.
Charles doesn’t own the Duchy, nor does he own the Harewood estate purchased by the Duchy at his direction. The Duchy purchasing that estate in 2007 may be part of why William dumped Kate again that year; he didn’t like the pressure to marry it represented. As William inherits the stewardship of The Duchy, a house owned by that entity made sense for him to live in.
No. I am fully agreeing with you.
Forgot about the Kents. But clearly, William has no issue with the houses history. Kensington has its own history regarding his mom and her extramarital relationships.
I’m not personally condoning adultery. But William grew up with both parents conducting affairs. And isn’t openly taking sides
Who in their right minds thought marrying a barely adult 19yr old to a much older man she did not know very well would end happily?
19 is a university freshman! And it’s not like Charles was her high school sweetheart!!
And who thought the it was a good idea for Charles to marry a teenager? Especially when it seems he was already attached to someone else.
The grown ups behind the scene, especially her parents, deserve most of the blame. And it is not surprising she was also unfaithful. She was like 25 when Charles admits he went back to Camilla. I am glad she didn’t sit at home crying alone.
Several men have been linked to her. Not an enormously huge number for a woman who had been for all intents and purposes single for 10 years. It was a mistake to introduce her kids to those men. By than she was old enough to know better.
Am old enough to remember those kids walking through London after their mom. The pain on their faces literally sucked the air out of me like I’d fallen off the monkey bars. Watching on tv thousands of miles away.
Think the royal family, their dad and the press, are remarkably lucky they have grown up so accommodating towards them. Their dad is really lucky they don’t hate Camilla.
William has clearly put his immediate family first. As well he should. He and Harry could pack up their families, take their private money and leave the UK. And if they did, who would blame them? UK would be left with Uncle Andy.
I’m American, if I had views on the monarchy, they would be irrelevant. But I think those who support the monarchy there should consider the human beings expected to represent it. Sure lots of privilege, but those really close to the throne give a lot. In return they are accused of being freeloaders.
I see the hateful comments on daily mail and think be careful of what you wish for.
It was the very early eighties. Plenty of teenagers got married then to older men – obviously we know its not a good idea now but back then some thought it was normal.
And the monarchy was even more old fashioned back then, they would have thought it a given that the Prince of Wales bride should be a virgin, as it had been for centuries, to protect the line. Stupid and archaic obviously, but thats how they thought.
Am younger than Diana. But I remember my mom being disapproving of a teenager marrying a 33yr old. And some of my friends moms. Am in America. Maybe it was different in the UK.
But from hindsight, it’s not surprising it blew up in their faces. She herself has said she met him on 13 occasions before the wedding. She was an infatuated teenager, not an adult in love.
What on earth? It was the 1980s, not the 1880s! No, people were NOT marrying off teenagers to old men then.
@LT,
Thanks, was scratching my head. And there were single girls closer to Charles age who said no thanks. She was not a minor, but only by months when he asked her out!!
No it was sicko even in the 80s
Well there are many happy marriages with that kind of age gap.
I am glad this is coming out; it might dampen the Diana stans who try to do a angel/demon narrative between her and Camilla.
Everyone in that marriage did something people disagree with, Diana included. The whole affair-gate whips some people into a frenzy, but UC society (especially the country set) are notorious for happily bed hoping. It’s just that they were more high profile.
But I digress; I just wish everyone happiness now. I’m glad to see there is a genuine warmth between Harry and his dad and stepmom. We shall see how Wills relationship with his dad thaws over the coming years.
@RAE So so agree. All of them, diana too,made some poor choices.
Have sympathy for Diana. Her fans should all care about her kids. Do they want her kids bitter?
The press or public acting like Harry has betrayed his mom is wrong. He is entitled to his feelings.
Guessing none of the slimy markles are on Celebrity Big Brother.
Vonnie is bating 1000 with her untruths.
Of course both Will and Harry are privately very wealthy from various inheritances. But one reason estimates of their wealth are as high as they are is because they rarely spend their own money. Because Will is older and has been married longer we’ve seen more of his expenses– expenses like moving the tennis court a few yards at Amner, redoing kitchens, furnishing Amner and KP, planting a very long row of trees at KP…. and those are just some of the things we know about and doesn’t include clothing or new jewelry. I don’t believe any of that was paid for by Will. Some was taxpayer-funded and the rest paid by Charles. If either tried to live on their enormous personal wealth it likely would last not last that long. (Good grief, on other threads, people have tossed around figures of 10 mil each yr to support the 6 Jolie-Pitt kids. At that rate, 40 million wouldn’t last long!) And if they did walk away from royal life entirely, I’m not so sure QEII would/could make up all the difference. She seems to have pretty strong views about duty. Eventually they’d inherit more as people die off, but in the meantime, they are dependent on Charles and they know it. That said, I tend to believe what Harry said about Camilla. And I doubt Will is still tied in knots over Camilla either. He lives in the house (AH) where Charles and Camilla used to meet after all.
Right now their personal money is untouched principal, growing daily.
They have friends who live like they do in private on far smaller piles of cash.
William has happily lived in a farmhouse in Wales with no tennis court. Bet he could adjust to buying a country house like his friends and just forgo moving the tennis court.
William seems perfectly happy living like his in-laws. And has plenty of money for that.
Neither are incapacitated. Harrys wife has money too.
Supposedly the courtiers working for Charles were horrified by Diana’s will. It meant both would be the first heirs that would not be dependant on the crown.
Supposedly William jumping the reservation has always been a worry from the day he turned 30.
Well, W&H had an agreement in childhood they’d walk away together but I doubt that will happen. When Will and Kate lived in Wales they still had staff like gardeners, maids and cooks, not paid for by Will. And security. And while Will might be willing to give up a tennis court, I can hardly see Kate or Will willing to live in a true cottage with 3 kids. I can’t see the Middletons happy about the family doing anything like that either. (Even the Midds don’t live now like they did when Will met Kate. Or live in the same house.) Right now, because Will is in line for the throne he gets lots of freebies. (I know the rule, but nothing stops “friends” from offering free vacation spots or free loan of a jet.) Not sure all that would continue if he was plain old petulant Will, never to be king. Could they live on Will’s money? Sure. Could they live on much less than they spend now? Of course. Does Kate need every piece of Kiki jewelry ever made? No. Or 500 designer clutch purses? No. Or 12 blue coats? Not likely. Are there any indications they plan to slow down their consumption? Certainly not. And remember when Will went to Jecca’s wedding? At first it was a private trip but then Will managed to get one short official mtg scheduled so others would pay. He’s very cheap with his own money.
@lizbeth,
If they were not princes, just guys in their 30s with more than 10mil each in their bank accounts, would you think them unable to provide very nicely for their wives and kids?
No chance at all kate wil ever need to live in a cottage.
Even if they never received another penny from the royals or dad, they are fine.
Would you be worried about guys with millions in the bank, if they were not princes?
Harry is conservatively estimated at 34million. Most of their friends the hang with in the country in their of time have much smaller bank accounts and live in big houses.
And you assume they would never work again? Most of their friends earn a living just fine.
Think people overestimate how attached they are to being royal. And underestimate their ability to take care of themselves on the minimum 50+ million they have between them. The millions mom left them have been sitting there vrowing for 21 years. Queen mother left them money. Diana’s mom also left them money.
My judgment @Hershey is based on how they have lived until now from birth until close to middle age (at least Will is close to middle age.) Not how they might have lived or how they could possibly live in the future. So far as cottage-living goes, you were the one who first mentioned that Will was happy in the cottage in Wales implying he would be fine with a simple life. I merely pointed out that with staff (not paid by Will) and security (not paid by Will) it was hardly typical cottage living. You also implied Will would be fine with a lower standard of living since he was attracted to Kate’s supposedly “middle-class” family. I think there lots of reasons he was attracted to that family. It wasn’t middle-class the way we think of middle-class in the US, of course. But regardless, the Midds higher standard of living now is somewhat dependent on Will maintaining his. And no, I don’t think Will’s private wealth is enough to do that. Would it be enough for most people to be able to live in a way that makes them very happy re: economics? Sure. Would it be enough for even “kind of” wealthy people to be happy? Probably. (Although not the Jolie-Pitts– it’s only a few yrs of expenses.) But from all I can see, Will and Harry aren’t “most people.” As princes, but more importantly princes who were raised to know they were close to the throne, they feel and act entitled and don’t want to open their own wallets unless absolutely necessary. Of course they could get “jobs” but it certainly sounds like Will had a problem showing up for his air ambulance job (until a friend of the royals became director and starting covering for him) Harry didn’t earn a university degree and while it sounds like he was effective in the military, he couldn’t handle being told what to do.
The private money would never be enough for them to live on.
Miillions in the bank. Based on the value of what they inherited, and when, combined value more than 50million, between the 2 men.
They will never have to pay for their government protection. It is a right not a perk. If the risk goes down they lose it. But wouldnt need it.
Please try to tell me that any man, with that in the bank, will need to house his family in a farmhouse in Wales with no staff.
That is just simply not true. Mathematically impossible.
It is a fact he is a wealthy man. Not sort of wealthy. To say that any human cannot live a comfortable, wealthy lifestyle on that is just not true. Most of his friends live horsey in the country with far less.
He may be entitled. He may not choose to work a lot. He might be lazy. All opinions.
His money is a hard cold fact. He has it. It is less than what his dad has. But used properly, he has enough. Any human with that has enough to be wealthy for the rest of their life. Fact, not maybe.
@Hershey “Jumping the reservation?” That is a horrible racist comment. My grandparents could not leave the Rez without permission from the agent who was basically a warden. It sickens me when I hear that blasted term used on movies or television shows to describe someone gone rougue
@ rosalee,
My apologies.
They definelty could not afford to dress like Meghan has since her wedding. It’s fun to dress like a princess, but I think she is going to regret blowing so much in such a short period of time. It just doesn’t look good no matter whos money.
@Hershey’s Cookies & Cream (yum)
I agree with your assessment. However, I think that was a blip ….she seems to have returned to a much more reasonable budget.
Given how fast and intense her life has been in the last couple of years, I think its entirely forgivable (and human) that she made a few errors in judgement.
Besides, apart from that brief blip, i think she’s behaved immaculately through all the storms she’s had to endure and i’m now a much bigger fan of hers than i was at start.
Very understandable and not a criticism. More a worry it will bite her. She looked great and has behaved beautifully under a lot of pressure
Meghan has not made any errors spending on clothing. Do you really think that she alone decides how much she spends on clothing? Meghan carried out loads of public engagements before she was married wearing her own clothes. The wardrobe she has currently will be used for many years it is not like she is going to throw away all the clothes she has bought.
William and Harry do not have the income or wealth of celebrities like the Beckham’s.
Most of the aristocracy and Eton kids come from money that is tied up in land, or from households with less disposable cash than 25 million. Some of that group have newer, bigger, piles of money. But many of that group, get along with way less. Very few of them, if any, want to own a tacky plane. They bum rides.
But 20 million cash will fund an Eton lifestyle as long as it’s not wasted.
Most of those tweedy households do not have fleets of private planes. The royals themselves, in private, live more on the level of that tweedy group than like Beckham’s.
I think the likelihood they walk away from royals is low. Think that’s about duty and guilt over 93 yr old granny, not money. And I don’t think either feel they have to stay.
Ultimately Sandringham and Balmoral are private property, which will be inherited by Charles without tax. Whatever happens to the monarchy, Charles and his line will never starve.
Why can’t you wait and see what Meghan does in the future, she is not throwing away the clothes.
People will always find something to bitch about, her hair, shoes, clothes, accent, slim legs, breaking protocol, it’s always the same crap, wish Meghan gave the middle digit to the lot.
Not judging her. It’s her money, not mine, and she made a lot of her own money fair And square. And she looked very nice. It just seems the British public look for anything to find fault with her.
By regret I mean, it’s likely to get dragged up over and over.
Oh yeah. The higher you go the farther you will fall. She’s gonna get roasted.
The money Meghan has made is a drop in the ocean in terms of the royal life she is living.
Charles recently released his yearly duchy statements. The cost of upkeep for the personal lives of the Cambridge and Sussexes was a few million. The salaries of the Kensington office and overhead are included.
Meghan has 9 to 14 million and residual income.
The stuff they do for the government is paid for by the government.
Right now Harry is living in a cottage that is cute and historically important. British government could not pay me to live in it. I would not be able to cram my kids and dogs in there. William was unable to stand upright in parts of it.
His country thing Harry leased is near fun and cool people, I think in the cots. The structure was originally, back few hundred years ago, four animal stalls. An outbuilding on an estate.
It has been renovated into modern housing. Have stayed in similar structures in UK. Beautiful and lovely for a month long stay. It is not big.
William has upgraded to more traditional royal housing now he has kids. Anmer is a private house, not a palace or castle. Kensington has a fancy exterior. Inside it is a series of nice, large apartments.
These guys have very nice private lives. But they don’t live in jewels and princess rooms. And right now, having been inside similarly sized and types of spaces in the UK, I am sure it’s not always luxurious.
I can’t imagine where and how Meghan is even hanging her clothing up. One bathroom. One. 1300 square feet. My master bath is almost certainly bigger than her kitchen. I can park in a garage or right by my house. Shes walking to a car lot on a pebble path. In the rain. In all weather. Until she moves to something permanant, her house in Toronto was more comfortable.
There’s no way Megan Markle had that kind of money. She would have had to pay for an agent, publicist etc. Plus taxes. Honestly I don’t know where people pull these numbers from. Its always inflated on the IMD.I know actors and models who that make far less than whats been reported. It’s like these numbers are pulled out of thin air.
guesses from press about her income. All I know is the woman has no closet!!! 1300 sq ft. No central air. One bathroom.
Her leased place in country likely wasn’t grade listed, celebs living on same estate are not the type to do tiny bathrooms and no closets.
But is is still really small compared to what she is used to. I’ve have spent weeks at a time in structures the same age and size. And than im so happy to get back to my American closet, and huge bathroom.
The way she is living today this moment is less comfortable than her Canada digs.
Kate’s grade ii structure Anmer has the square footage to create big modern kitchens and bathrooms without breaking the rules.
Meghan is living in tiny tiny spaces for a while. Much of her clothing and personal belongings are in another building at Kensington. Not cottage has no modern closets.
Worthwhile trade I’m sure, her marriage matters more than a house. But she was drying her hair this morning in a tiny room with a weak barely blowing hairdryer.
Please Stop Lying. Homes in the Cotswolds are big and gorgeous. Beautiful views of the countryside, multiple acres, fresh air, lots of room for multiple rooms, stables for horses, bathrooms, media rooms, and closets. Nottingham Cottage is small, but their rented Oxfordshire home isn’t and that’s where it is reported they are spending most of their time. Meghan and Kate are not living like the average Brit.
Most people would kill for 1300 square feet in central London. Harry and Meghan are allegedly moving to Apartment 1, which has 20+ rooms, as does Apartment 1a. This is luxury beyond what most people who are not oligarchs can dream of. They have lots of room in the Cotswolds now in their rented accommodation, and the plans for their permanent country residence are for a large estate.
And £5 million per year is not “a few” million, and this will go up now that Meghan is included. They live wildly luxurious lives at our expense and do very few royal duties in return. I’ll give Meghan a chance since she’s new, but the other three should be doing more. And when I see the state of the NHS, I can’t help but resent it.
Am familiar with Cotswolds. Have been and stayed in area. There is plenty of large, spacious accommodation.
What was reported in press about the lease Harry took was that is was a structure that had formerly been 4 stalls for farm animals. Stalls that were likely larger than what we think of in a typical barn.
I have not stayed in that structure. But I have stayed in remodeled similar structures from the 1500s.
Nothing I said was a lie.
The press reported his leased property was surprisingly small. They may be incorrect about the size and type of the building.
Again, nothing I said is not true.
@Tina,
Nothing I have said has anything to do with the amount of funding the royal family receive. Not at all. Perhaps they are paid too much or they may be wasteful with public money.
I don’t know. That has nothing to do with what I am saying.
They take and receive from public funding.
They also pay for the role they are playing in public life.
The messy in law Thomas is one example. A private guy can get married without ugliness in the press every week for the first three months of his marriage. Harry cannot.
The royals take funding from the British. But the British public and their press take from the royals as well. Sure they need the interest to be relevant. But the public’s interest costs the individual in ways that are not measured in money.
I am not trying to suggest the money should be more to make the trade fair. They get a lot.
The costs they pay can’t and shouldnt be remedied with money. But they should be acknowledged for the arrangement to be fair.
Hershey, you literally said upthread, “ They are not beholden to any gravy train, dad or taxpayer. Have to laugh when brits accuse them of mooching off them. They could say Bye Bye! Neither owe anyone anything.”
They receive an enormous amount of money from us every year. There are emotional costs to being a royal, sure. But they are extremely well compensated for those costs. The least they could do is do as many royal duties as their 70 year old father and 60-something aunts and uncles.
@ tina
What I mean is that are not glued to the gravy train without a means to downgrade their lifestyles and step out of public life.
Dependent might have been a better word. They are not helpless with no other choices.
Yes they take public money. I have no idea if it is too much. If tennis courts are moving a few feet just for giggles, it is wasteful. I don’t know how fair or overly generous the public funding is, so no opinion.
As to how much they do, that is not something I know much about. I have heard William say he puts being a father first. I have at times during my career taken time off to be a mom. But my paychecks stopped coming.
Lots of the issues you bring up are valid concerns that I don’t know much about.
My guess that William or Harry might wish to leave and go private is just a guess.
Camilla is the love of his life and I think after all they’ve been though, they just want their dad to be happy. The public and tabloids have the “Camilla is evil” narrative, not them. I also don’t think the boys are as hung up on Diana’s death as the public is.
The boys have no problem with cheating whether it’s their father or themselves.
Camilla is their mother and she’s the only grandmother on their dad’s side William’s kids know.