Prince Harry has often described himself as "the spare" in relation to his brother, Prince William, being the heir to the throne. While William has many responsibilities and roles due to his future as King, Harry's life has been mapped out very differently. While William now manages a £1 billion property portfolio, Harry didn't get a look in – but a legal expert has explained why.
Why Harry hasn't been treated equally
As US-based asset protection expert Gideon Alper of Alper Law explains, the confusion often stems from Americans viewing the monarchy as a family business rather than a "state institution". According to Gideon, royal inheritance is fundamentally different from a normal family will and that's why Harry hasn't been treated equally.
Due to his role as the Duke of Cornwall, William has inherited the Duchy of Cornwall, a diverse portfolio of properties and land, spanning 23 counties. The Duchy gives William a private income of nearly £23 million a year, which is used to fund his charity efforts as well as his private life with his wife the Princess of Wales and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
"People assume the Royal Family's wealth works like a standard estate," says Gideon, "but constitutionally, most royal assets are held for the institution - not the individual. That means they aren't passed down like a normal family inheritance."
He continued: "Prince Harry didn't lose an inheritance [as] he simply never had a claim to institutional assets designed to support the monarchy. His private inheritance was already settled years ago.
"Prince Harry didn't lose an inheritance"
"The goal isn't fairness between siblings; it's the continuity of the institution. The heir is funded to carry the role, while other family members are financially independent through private arrangements."
Prince Harry's wealth in the US
We know that the Duke has received an inheritance from both his mother and great-grandmother, The Queen Mother. In addition to that, he has made some lucrative Netflix deals in the past few years.
His wealth is placed in property too as Prince Harry does own his own home stateside, albeit with a mortgage. Their dreamy $29 million mansion, which has been home to the Sussexes since 2020 since they bought it for $14.6 million, has an array of different features which make it a real estate gem. The property, named Chateau of Riven Rock, has nine bedrooms, seven acres of sprawling grounds, a wine cellar, a playpark, an outdoor pool and a private cinema room. "We did everything we could to get this house," Meghan previously told The Cut. "Because you walk in and go… Joy. And exhale. And calm. It's healing. You feel free."