Prince William became the Duke of Cornwall when his father ascended to the throne. As the Duke of Cornwall he inherited one of Britain’s largest private estates, the Duchy of Cornwall. The Duchy is a vast portfolio comprising 52,000 hectares of land across multiple counties.
Discover our latest podcast
This estate provides a significant source of income for the Prince - who had different plans for it than his father. In the year 2023-2024 alone, it generated £23.6 million in profits. This income comes from various ventures, such as property development, agricultural activities, and leasing land.
William is a staunch advocate for environmental causes and some of Duchy’s profits support his philanthropic initiatives. However, recent reports suggest that not all of his business interests align with the values he promotes, leading to growing criticism.
Prince William’s controversial car showroom
One of the more controversial aspects of the Duchy’s portfolio is a car showroom complex located in Solihull, West Midlands. It was purchased by the Duchy of Cornwall in 2022 for £15 million when it was still owned by King Charles.
This sprawling site, home to dealerships like Volkswagen, Volvo, Skoda, and Mazda, is one of the largest in Europe. The site reportedly earns the Duchy an annual rent of £800,000, reportsMirror. While there are electric and hybrid cars available for sale, the majority of vehicles sold at the showroom are powered by petrol or diesel, which are significant contributors to carbon emissions.
According to iNews, there are 251 cars advertised on the showroom’s website. Out of these 189 are petrol or diesel, 47 are hybrid and 15 are electric.
The purchase of this car showroom has raised eyebrows, particularly among environmental campaigners who argue that it contradicts Prince William’s green credentials.
As the driving force behind the Earthshot Prize, which advocates for sustainable solutions to climate challenges, the Prince’s ownership of a business, that profits primarily from the sale of combustion-engine vehicles, has been called into question.
Prince William branded a ‘hypocrite’ for owning a car showroom
Critics have not held back in calling out what they view as hypocrisy in Prince William’s business dealings. Elena Grice, from the environmental campaign group Wild Card, has been vocal in her disapproval of the Duchy’s investment in the motor industry. She stated:
If you call yourself an environmentalist and consider yourself green, then that has to feed into the actions that you’re taking and what you’re investing in.
Meanwhile, Hirra Khan Adeogun, co-director of the climate charity Possible, echoed similar concerns, pointing out the environmental harm caused by private cars. She said:
Private cars are a huge source of emissions for the UK and their rampant use is fuelling the ongoing climate crisis.
While acknowledging the growing shift towards electric vehicles, Adeogun added that this is not enough, urging a broader reduction in car usage. She added:
Whichever way you look at it, private cars are simply not a green investment. If the Duchy of Cornwall is serious about working hard to combat climate change then it needs to invest in renewable energy and focus on sustainable transport modes instead.
These criticisms are not just limited to environmentalists. Norman Baker, a former Liberal Democrat MP and Home Office minister, has also condemned the Duchy’s commercial ventures, accusing Prince William and his father, King Charles, of presenting a misleading image. He said:
The Duchy’s brochures always have a nice picture of somewhere in the countryside or some cottage on the front.
They all use horrible industrial estates, ghastly places around the country. They don’t publicise that, but of course, they make a huge amount of money from that.
Read more:
Prince William: Is the heir jealous of wife Kate Middleton, like Charles was of Diana?
Sources used:
Mirror: Prince William earns six-figure sum from his secret car showroom
iNews: Prince William earns six-figure sum from secret car showroom despite green pledges
