NEWS
Prince Harry To Receive A Huge Sum Of Money When He Turns 40 Thanks To The Late Queen Mother
Prince Harry is reportedly set to receive £8 million [$10.5 million] on his 40th birthday from a trust established by the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, in 1994.
Alongside this, the prince and his wife Meghan Markle’s wealth has surged since stepping down as senior royals due to lucrative deals with Spotify, Netflix, and book contracts.
As Prince Harry’s birthday draws near, reports have emerged that Meghan plans to mark the special day with an “A-list” party.
According to the Daily Mail, Queen Elizabeth allocated £19 million to a fund intended for her great-grandchildren. The fund was structured to release payments on their 21st and 40th birthdays.
Each prince reportedly received £6 million at 21, with the amount increasing to £8 million at 40. Harry, who will reach the milestone age on September 15, is due to receive the final payment soon, and according to palace insiders, the duke may have received a larger portion than his brother, Prince William.
Speaking to the Times, a former palace aide explained that the trust “was a way in which the Queen Mother could set aside money for when her great-grandchildren were older and a way of passing a slice of her estate down in a tax-efficient way.”
They added: “It was a way in which some of her estate could be ring-fenced for them.”
Besides William and Harry, some of their cousins, including Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, are believed to be beneficiaries of the fund established by the Queen Mother.
While he was still a senior working royal, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, were primarily funded by Charles’ Duchy of Cornwall estate, which was reportedly worth £1.2 billion [$1.5 billion]. On average, Harry received about £2.3 million [$3 million] annually from the estate.
However, according to the Daily Mail, the couple claimed that this sum only covered around 95 percent of their office expenses, with the remaining 5 percent coming from the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant, which allocates £82 million a year to the monarch.
Royal author Tom Bower also claimed in 2023 that Meghan had been “surprised and disappointed” to discover Harry’s wealth was less than she anticipated, with an estimated net worth of £35 million.
While discussing the former actress’s misconceptions about the Royal Family, Bower branded Meghan “money-obsessed.”
He explained, “Her great surprise and disappointment was that Prince Harry had very little money. She had imagined he would be worth hundreds of millions if not billions, and she is having to make up for it now.”
Since stepping down as senior royals and relocating to the U.S., Harry and Meghan’s combined wealth has reportedly surged despite a decline in their popularity. While they weren’t compensated for their explosive Oprah interview, it paved the way for several lucrative ventures.
Their earnings began with a $20 million deal with Spotify for their Archewell Audio series, followed by a $100 million partnership with Netflix for their documentary series. Additionally, a $40 million four-book contract kicked off with the release of Harry’s bestseller, “Spare.”
In April, it was revealed that Harry had already earned at least $20 million from his memoir, “Spare,” which became the fastest-selling non-fiction book in U.K. history following its January 2023 release by Penguin Random House.
The book contains multiple revelations about Harry’s family, including claims that William called Meghan “difficult,” “rude,” and “abrasive” and that King Charles III blocked Meghan from joining Harry in Scotland during the Queen’s final days.
Harry turns 40 on September 15, which isn’t far away, and allegedly intends to celebrate the day with an A-list party organized by Meghan.
A source revealed plans for the party to Page Six, including that it’ll be held in Montecito, California, where Harry and Meghan moved to after resigning as senior royals in the British Royal Family.
With the distance and widening rift between the Duke of Sussex and his family, especially his brother William, it’s easy to guess that the Prince of Wales won’t be a guest at the birthday party.
The brothers were recently seen together for the first time in more than a year at the funeral of their late uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes. However, eyewitnesses say they didn’t speak to each other throughout the event.
Earlier this year, sources revealed that Harry is eager to reunite with his father and family. However, this would likely only happen if King Charles helped to restore the duke and his family’s security protection. Without it, Harry will likely never bring his family to the U.K. again.
A source told Page Six, “King Charles can give Harry the security clearance he wants so desperately. As the monarch, he is the ultimate decision maker. That would be how father and son can reconcile.”
Harry and Meghan lost access to their taxpayer-funded police security when they resigned as senior royals and moved to the U.S.
Regarding Charles’ power to reinstate Harry and his family’s official security detail, a palace insider explained: “Security provision is decided upon exclusively by a committee called RAVEC in which His Majesty is not involved, though the household is represented.”