Newly published accounts have revealed Prince Charles paid a “substantial sum” to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after they quit royal life last year.
According to Sky News, the couple received money from Harry’s father to help them become “financially independent” within the first half of 2020.
However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also paid back the taxpayer £2.4m last year, as a reimbursement for renovations to Frogmore Cottage – which included 18 months of rent.
Commenting on the accounts, a Clarence House spokesperson said: “As we’ll all remember in January 2020 when the Duke and Duchess announced that they were going to move away from the working Royal Family, the Duke said that they would work towards becoming financially independent.”
“The Prince of Wales allocated a substantial sum to support them with this transition. That funding ceased in the summer of last year. The couple are now financially independent.”
The spokesperson added that the couple’s departure was “a matter of enormous sadness to the family”.
The news comes just months after Harry claimed the Royal family cut him off financially last year, during his explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey.
However, a Sussex spokesperson has explained Harry was referring to “the first quarter of the fiscal reporting period in the UK” – which starts in April.
The couple’s spokesperson said: “You are conflating two different timelines and it’s inaccurate to suggest that there’s a contradiction.”
“The duke’s comments during the Oprah interview were in reference to the first quarter of the fiscal reporting period in the UK, which starts annually in April.”
“This is the same date that the ‘transitional year’ of the Sandringham agreement began and is aligned with the timeline that Clarence House referenced.”
“The Duke made a substantial contribution to the Sovereign Grant last year to support necessary and existing refurbishments to Frogmore Cottage, which specifically included essential structural updates to the building,” they continued.
“As part of this agreement, all tenant obligations are being met. The duke and duchess continue to operate with no money being drawn from the UK taxpayer.”
The couple likely used the money they received from Charles to pay for their security in the US, after they were stripped of their royal protection last year.
