The 74-year-old sovereign has asked for the profits from the £1 billion wind farm deal to go towards 'wider public good,' not the Royal Family, after he announced six new offshore wind energy lease deals.
- Jan 19, 2023
AceShowbiz - King Charles has asked for the profits from a £1 billion wind farm deal to go towards "wider public good," not the Royal Family. After the Crown Estate announced six new offshore wind energy lease deals, the 74-year-old sovereign has announced he does not wish his family to benefit from the money.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said, "In view of the offshore energy windfall, the keeper of the privy purse has written to the prime minister and chancellor to share the King's wish that this windfall be directed for wider public good, rather than to the Sovereign Grant, through an appropriate reduction in the proportion of Crown Estate surplus that funds the Sovereign Grant."
The monarch already gives up more than £312 million in revenue a year from the estate to the Treasury to boost public finances. Gus Jaspert, managing director of the Crown Estate, said, "Today marks a significant milestone for the U.K. on the road to net zero, unlocking green energy potential for more than seven million homes and demonstrating to the world that the UK offshore wind industry is growing at pace to help meet the climate challenge."
The move comes a month after the king spoke out on the "great anxiety and hardship" facing British people amid the cost of living crisis during his first Christmas speech. He said, "I particularly want to pay tribute to all those wonderfully kind people who so generously give food or donations, or that most precious commodity of all, their time, to support those around them in greatest need."
