Even staunch Royalists are wincing over the recent investigation into King Charles and Prince William’s opaque financial affairs which details how their estates take money off hospitals, the military, prisons and firefighters. Both Royals pay income tax (since the 1990s though refuse to say how much) but not capital gains and corporation tax. Hints from 25 years back that greater transparency was needed have clearly been ignored.
The feudal-sounding duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, owned and run by the Royals are actually property companies with assets worth £1.8 billion and 5,410 landholdings, ranging from rental houses and flats to farmland, mining rights and drilling sites.
‘Prising open the secrets of the two duchies, which are exempt from business taxes and are used to fund the royals’ lifestyles and philanthropic work, has proved almost impossible. Two parliamentary committees have tried and largely failed.’
There are calls for the two duchies to be folded into the Crown estate, which sends its profits to the Government.
King Charles, 14 November 1948 9.14pm London, has his Saturn in Virgo in his 2nd house which has always puzzled me – since it should mean thrifty even mean about money, when his personal lifestyle hardly shrieks austerity; though it can also mean shrewd in business. He is nowhere near the top of the global rich list coming way down at around 250th.
He does have a Taurus Moon close to his North Node which can indicate an acquisitive streak and a tendency to become embroiled in financial tussles. His Moon is trine Saturn trine Jupiter in an out of element (nearly Earth) Grand Trine which will emphasise his interest in building a solid business operation.
At the moment he has his Saturn moved by Solar Arc direction to conjunct his Sun exactly bringing a few financial realities home to roost. Tr Saturn is also moving through his 8th house which again suggests a need for rearranging joint finances. Early 2025 in particular will see transiting Saturn tugging on his Mars, Uranus Jupiter – and thereby affecting his Grand Trine involving Saturn – for another discouraging phase of having to face the bottom line. Plus his Solar Arc Pluto will conjunct his South Node in 2025. By 2027 tr Uranus will be squaring his Saturn as well. Not all of this may involve money matters but a chunk will. His life and attitude to finances will have to change force majeure.
He is not as indulgent as his mother Queen Elizabeth 11, who for all her emphasis on living a frugal lifestyle with single bar radiators and the like, also bred and competed racehorses – and that is a very expensive hobby about which nothing much was ever spoken. She had an indulgent Venus and erratic Uranus in her 2nd house of finances and an earthy Taurus Sun, as well as a Leo Moon.
Prince William is less money-minded than his father/grandmother. But even he is feeling the pressure with his Progressed Moon moving through his 2nd house of finances for another year; and tr Pluto moving through his 2nd house well into the 2040s. Both will alter his approach to money.
Tr Uranus is conjunct his Venus in Taurus exactly now, which given that it is on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Neptune sextile Pluto, it does suggest a life-changing phase, when he will be jolted onto a new track.
Part of the problem as Libby Purves explained in The Times quoting the experience of a journalist who previously tried to investigate the Royal finances “The King is a good man. So is William — big sense of obligation. But they have these hard-nosed people, chisel-faced accountants ….” The men in grey suits get the blame.
I am pro-Monarchy since it is good for tourism, holds the country together and they do put on a good performance when it comes to state occasions. The ranters and ravers, driven by a good deal by envy, would do well to consider what the alternatives are. The Russian royals were assassinated and the Bolsheviks took over. Spanish Royals out – dictator Franco in. Shah of Persia exiled and the beards moved in.
Royals can be their own worst enemy and shoot themselves in the foot with crass decisions and obfuscation. But I would not trade their lifestyle for all the money in the world and the vacuum they leave is often filled by much much worse.
The post Royal finances – lifting the lid first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
