Why Prince Harry inherited more of the Queen Mother’s $24m fortune than Prince William
When the Queen Mother passed away on March 30 in 2002, aged 101, she left behind an AUD$24 million fortune.
Great-grandson Prince Harry inherited a large “bulk” of her inheritance, substantially more than his older brother Prince William, but there’s a good reason why.
It turns out the Queen Mother, knowing Prince William was second in line to the throne, wanted to ensure Prince Harry’s financial future was secure.
When Prince Charles becomes King, Prince William will in turn takeover the title of Prince of Wales – which means inheriting the Duchy of Cornwall and its private estate.
However, Prince Harry – who is currently sixth in line to the throne after Prince William’s children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – will not receive anything.
A BBC report the same year the Queen Mother died stated the “bulk” of her $24 million estate will go to Prince Harry “since William will benefit financially becoming King”.
While it is unknown the exact amount the Duke of Sussex inherited, his great-grandmother certainly rewarded the royal in financial terms, to compensate for his line of succession to the throne.
The rest of the Queen Mother’s estate (the items in her homes) was left to her eldest daughter Queen Elizabeth II. Her youngest daughter Princess Margaret passed away one month earlier on February 9, 2002, aged 71.
When Prince William and Prince Harry’s mother Princess Diana passed away in 1997, her sons received an equal split of her fortune.