Channel 4 Dispatches has been lambasted by royal biographer Angela Levin for their “hatchet job” in attacking the Royal Family and their “secret millions”.
The investigation programme, which aired on Saturday night, delved into King Charles and Prince William’s finances and private estates and claimed The Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall have received “millions of pounds of income” from contracts with charities and other public bodies.
Among the claims, Dispatches alleges that the Duchy of Cornwall has claimed over £22million since 2005 from a share of rents paid on Camelford House, as well as a £60,000 payment from St John’s Ambulance – a charity in which the King is patron of.
Defending the Royal Family, royal biographer Angela Levin told GB News that the investigation is a “hatchet job” on the monarchy, and claimed Channel 4 “doesn’t like” the royals.
King Charles and Prince William have been defended by Angela Levin as new documentary investigates Royal Family finances
PA
Levin told host Mark Dolan: “Somebody wanted to know the details of this, and the very fact that it’s been open for them to see, tells you that nobody’s trying to hide anything.
“Nothing has changed so much that it’s been hidden under the carpet, and I think that speaks enough for it, really.”
When asked by Mark if it is “appropriate” for ” one of the richest men in the country” to be receiving “tax breaks” from the British public, Levin disagreed, explaining: “They don’t take like that, because they give back.
“The King has given £100million to various charities, he’s giving money away all the time. He’s not a greedy man.”
The King and Prince of Wales are the subject of Channel 4’s latest Dispatches investigation
PA
Offering further defence for the King and Prince William, Levin stressed that like “any landlord”, if someone uses your land, they “have to pay”.
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Levin added: “A lot of the land in these two areas, which is the two private estates in Lancaster and Duchy of Cornwall, William has the Duchy of Cornwall, has done very well.
“Like any landlord, if you sit on it you have to pay. That’s how it is. So it’s actually wrong, I think, to call out the King and William. They do give away masses of money, they’re very generous. I don’t think there’s anything crooked about the whole thing.”
Levin added: “I think it’s a hatchet job. I think Channel 4 doesn’t like the Royal Family. And they make any possible time to whack them.
“There’s a nasty aura about this. But The Times, not so much, but I think for them it makes a very good front page story.”
Angela Levin claimed the documentary investigation is a ‘hatchet job’ against the monarchy
GB News
In response to the investigation, a Duchy of Cornwall spokesperson said: “The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate with a commercial imperative which we achieve alongside our commitment to restoring the natural environment and generating positive social impact for our communities.
“Prince William became Duke of Cornwall in September 2022 and since then has committed to an expansive transformation of the Duchy.
“This includes a significant investment to make the estate net zero by the end of 2032, as well as establishing targeted mental health support for our tenants and working with local partners to help tackle homelessness in Cornwall.”