Why Prince Harry Inherited More Fortune From Queen Mother Than Prince William

Queen Elizabeth left a more substantial amount of fortune to Prince Harry than Prince William, and she had the sweetest reason for doing so. Before the Queen Mother died in 2002, she made sure that she would leave enough money in a trust fund intended for her two great grandchildren.

Although Queen Elizabeth Bowles-Lyon, more commonly known as Queen Mother, left her entire estate to Queen Elizabeth II after she died, she had put two thirds of her fortune into a trust fund for Prince Harry and Prince William in as early as 1994. The trust fund was worth $17.9 million and was supposed to be equally shared by Prince Harry and Prince William. After considerate thought, however, she ultimately decided to have Prince Harry get the lion’s share.

Much of the wealth of the royal family comes from inheritance. While much of Prince William and Prince Harry’s wealth comes from their late mother, Princess Diana, they also received a substantial amount of inheritance from their Queen Mother. But Queen Elizabeth I chose to leave a greater share to Prince Harry than Prince William because she knew that Prince William would be king in the future. Her decision boils down to the line of succession and its financial impact on the future of the two princes.

Prince William is second in line to the throne, while Prince Harry is sixth. Before Prince Harry becomes king, Prince William’s children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, will have to be kings and queen first. Considering that it is highly unlikely for Prince Harry to become king in this lifetime, Queen Mother thought he could have more of her fortune as a consolation.

Prince William will benefit financially when he becomes king. In fact, his financial situation will automatically change as soon as his father, Prince Charles, inherits the crown. This is because when Prince William becomes the new Prince of Wales, he will take over the Duchy of Cornwall, a private estate that consists of 53,000 hectares of land and funds all the activities of the Prince of Wales.