No 'Spare' Change Needed: Prince Harry's 40th Inheritance Towers Over Heir Prince William's Cut From Late Queen Mother
Prince Harry's 40th birthday inheritance will reportedly eclipse what Prince William received for his big day in 2022. The cut will come from arrangements laid out by the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother for her great-grandchildren.
"The Queen Mother placed two-thirds of her [estimated] $120 million fortune into a trust fund for her great-grandchildren," royal author Christopher Andersen shared.
The Queen Mother died on March 30, 2002, at the age of 101 at the Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle. With such a large financial estate, Her late Majesty ensured that some of it was divided "in fairness" to William and Harry.
"She knew that when Prince William became Prince of Wales, which he did when his father became king, he would inherit the Duchy of Cornwall, which now boasts assets of over $1 billion," Andersen added. "In divvying things up, the Queen Mother may have left Harry a skosh more. In the meantime, the value of the trust has simply increased, Harry's share along with it."
"Prince Harry is set to receive more money than Prince William because he is the spare," royal and showbiz expert Kinsey Schofield dished. "The Queen Mother knew he would have fewer opportunities and responsibilities. It was a logical and thoughtful decision. There will be no tensions as [the family] knew about this arrangement for decades. Prince William likely quietly inherited his share two summers ago when he turned 40."
There was a very good reason that the former Queen Consort to King George VI decided on turning 40 as the day her great-grandsons got the loot.
"Why 40? To a woman who nearly lived to be 102, one can only imagine that 40 seemed like the perfect age to come into some extra cash — when you're young enough to appreciate it but also old enough, and hopefully wise enough, not to blow it," Andersen pointed out. "Of course, the princes' great-granny couldn't have anticipated all the trouble Harry caused the rest of the family. I think she would have cut him out of [the trust] entirely had she known."
The Queen Mother, who won historic praise during World War II for refusing to leave Buckingham Palace during German air raids over London, was "a huge stickler for royal protocol and duty above everything — even above royal children."
The Duke of Sussex has also amassed a sizable fortune since leaving the monarchy with Meghan Markle in early 2020. His 2023 memoir, Spare, became one of the bestselling non-fiction books in history thanks to its explosive revelations about the fiery-haired princes' family members.
Fox News reported on the expert revelations.