Charles Windsor, heir to Britain's hereditary office of head of state, has published details of his tax payments for the first time in an apparent effort to counter criticisms that he is too highly paid. Mr. Windsor revealed that in the 2005 – 2006 tax year he paid £3.3m on his income of £14m from the Duchy of Lancaster.
In the same year Mr. Windsor had a personal expenditure of £2.1m. Details of this expenditure were not given. However, it is know to include the maintenance of two large homes, the salaries of 22 personal staff and expenditure on his sons.
Only since 1993 has Mr. Windsor paid any tax on this income. Under the British class system he was exempt from the tax until he volunteered to pay it to counteract criticism of the feudal privileges given to his family.
The Duchy of Windsor is comprised of public property holdings and investments. Mr. Windsor is allowed to live on the income they bring in.
Following publication of the report republican protested outside Buckingham Palace in London, one of a number of palaces and castles occupied by the Windsor family. However, they focused more on the how much of the people's money the Windsors spend than on the illegitimacy of the feudal arrangements that allow them to have that money at all.
Mr. Windsor is known by supporters of Britain's feudal system as “Prince Charles” or “the Prince of Wales”. In one odd comment the report describes Mr. Windsor's second wife Camilla, who is known as “the Duchess of Cornwall”, as a “powerful force for projecting British interests”.