MPs seek inquiry after Prince Charles makes record £14m

The Prince of Wales's private income should be fully investigated by Parliament, a senior member of the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said yesterday after the Prince was revealed to have received a record £14m last year.

The figure represents a rise of nearly £4m in just three years, and for the first time reflects the additional cost burden of Camilla Parker Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall.

The Prince's profits are generated by the estates and business enterprises of the Duchy of Cornwall, which comes with the title of the Prince of Wales. Last year his income rose by 6 per cent from 2004-2005.

In addition to his £14m income, he received £2m in public subsidies to help pay for the maintenance of his official residences as well as official visits overseas.

Ian Davidson MP, a member of the PAC, said he was concerned that while the Prince's income was going up, his charitable donations had fallen by an estimated £500,000 last year.

"These figures appear to be going in different directions, whereas you would expect them to be running parallel. There seems be every reason now for the PAC to look at the Duchy accounts and Charles's private accounts to see exactly what is going on and allay any public concerns," said Mr Davidson.

The Prince's advisers said he helped to raise, directly or indirectly, £110m for his 16 main charities.

A spokesman added that his personal charitable donations, which he confirmed had fallen by £500,000, were not part of the annual accounts, and related mostly to money generated from the Prince's polo events and sale of his watercolours.

For the first time the Prince's accounts reveal the developing role of Camilla Parker Bowles, who last year attended 196 engagements with the Prince, 147 in the UK and 49 abroad. She also carried out 30 on her own in the UK and four abroad, while the couple were visiting Saudi Arabia.

At a press conference at Clarence House yesterday aides to the Prince dampened speculation that the Duchess of Cornwall was costing the taxpayer up to £200,000 a year.

The Prince's principal private secretary, Sir Michael Peat, insisted that the public cost of Camilla was no more than £2,000.

"She lives in a house that's already there, she travels with the Prince, and on three occasions she went on an aircraft on her own. It came to about £2,000," Sir Michael said.

The bulk of Camilla's personal costs, including her accommodation as well as the salaries for her five servants, were picked up by the Prince out of his £14m private income.

The Duchess's personal staff, equivalent to five and a half full-time servants, include a personal driver and dresser.

The Prince's overall staff costs went up by 15 per cent, to more than £4m this year. They amounted to £4,374,000, compared with £3,792,000 last year.

The bill for housekeeping was £101,000, for IT systems £192,000 and official entertaining £387,000.

The Prince's personal expenditure, which came to £2,181,000, includes the cost of 22 full-time personal staff, including his secretaries, chefs, grooms, valets and gardeners. The largest share goes to maintaining Highgrove and Birkhall, but is also used for William and Harry's personal allowances. The Prince also uses funds from the Duchy to foot the bill for his sons' polo playing.

The accounts, which for the first time show how much the Prince paid in income tax, will do little to head off growing criticism from MPs who want him to open his accounts to full public scrutiny. In the past MPs have demanded that the National Audit Office should be given detailed access to the books of the Duchy of Cornwall.

Yesterday it was revealed that he paid £3,296,000 in income tax this year, compared with £3,263,000 in 2004-05. Sir Michael Peat said: "We're just edging forward with it and trying to be more open and transparent."

The Prince's personal expenditure, which is more than £2m, went down by about 1 per cent, from £2,204,000 to £2,181,000. The decrease came despite his wedding, which fell within this financial year.

It was revealed that the Prince has been offsetting his carbon emissions in sustainable energy projects. He has changed his car from an Audi to a Jaguar, which is less environmentally damaging.

He is also in the process of installing a wood-chip heating system at his country estate, Highgrove.

The Prince's advisers insisted that he, Camilla and his sons William and Harry cost every man, woman and child no more than 3.5p in the year and that his accounts and tax payments were more open than those of any private citizen.