Did Charles III steal the possessions of dead Englishmen? Insane scandal published by the “Guardian”.

There is a staggering amount of information. In its November 24 edition, “ Guardian “King Charles is said to be secretly profiting from the estates of his recently deceased subjects”, and added: “The properties of thousands of people in the north-west of England were used to improve the king’s property empire on an archaic basis. Custom. »

Journalists Maeve McClenaghan, Rob Evans and Henry Dyer tell how the Crown could enrich itself thanks to the Feudal Act, which was not removed from Henry IV’s reign.

At the center of this inquiry is the Duchy of Lancaster, a private domain of the British sovereign since 1399, comprising 18,433 hectares of land – farmland, buildings, etc. – distributed throughout the country, but especially in the counties of Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Staffordshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.

This royal duchy provides income to the sovereign. As the Duchy of Cornwall bestows it on the Prince of Wales – ie first in line to the throne – it is occupied today by Prince William.

Financial assets, known as “bona vacandia” (“vacant property”) belonging to persons who died without a will or without close relatives, are collected directly by the Duchy. In the last ten years, he has reportedly earned over £60 million from it.

Money to renovate properties

The “Guardian” prominently highlights how this money is being used. If most of these funds were to be donated to charities in general, only 15% of the 60 million earned in the last decade would have had actual charitable purposes.

So why the rest? “To enrich the king”, thundered the “Guardian”, explaining that the money mainly “contributes to the renovation of properties owned by Charles III and rented out for profit”. » “Three sources close to the Duchy’s finances said the estate used the proceeds collected from deceased citizens to restore its property portfolio, thereby achieving significant savings for the estate. One of them called this “bona vegantia”, which has not yet been made public, “free money” and “slush fund”.

“The Guardian” notes: “In the Middle Ages, the duchy was essentially inherited from those whose last address was in an area of ​​Lancashire called the County Palatine. Today the area includes parts of Lancashire and Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Cumbria. »

A pro-Republican newspaper

Real scandal or false controversy? This practice, which dates back to the Middle Ages, was never unknown to beginners. The “Guardian”, a liberal newspaper, waited until Elizabeth II’s death to reveal the affair. As if it were easier to beat the new king – already suffering from unpopularity – than the idolized and repentant sovereign.

Let’s remember, however, that the “Guardian” claimed a republican line and continued to publish stories on the Windsors. In 2021, the royal family used an opaque and secretive procedure to influence laws and protect its personal interests, like “royal consent”. In 2013, even the “Guardian” site gave its readers an option to no longer bother with articles related to the royal family. A communication stunt that caused a stir.