Pictures show Prince Andrew’s run down £30m home amid Charles axing allowance – live

King Charles and Prince William are facing calls to dissolve their private estates after it was revealed they are making millions from Britain’s cash-strapped NHS and public services.

The two estates earned the royals upwards of £50mn in the last financial year, with both estates being exempt from paying corporation tax or capital gains tax.

The monarch and heir to the throne have sparked uproar after it was revealed they are benefiting from rental deals with public services – including the armed forces and state schools – on their private estates, the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall.

“The solution is quite simple, abolish the Duchies,” spokesperson for Republic, Graham Smith, said.

He added: “The Dispatches investigation shows how the Duchies are doggedly pursuing profit at every turn, at huge expense to the public and charities.

“The Duchies are not private property, they are state assets. Parliament allowed the royals to maintain control over these estates when other land was surrendered three centuries ago. It’s time parliament abandoned that arrangement.”

As Andrew’s financial woes continue to worsen, images have concerning large cracks in exterior walls of his 31-bedroom Windsor mansion.

Crumbling paintwork and black-mould covered roofing has sparked concern about the upkeep of the property, once lived in by the late Queen mother and King George VI.

The Charles’ disgraced brother has lived in the Royal Lodge for over 20 years, but has reportedly faced calls from the monarch to move out after his friendship with convicted paedophile Jefferey Epstein came to light.

The Military Wives Choirs have released a moving new song to mark the King’s forthcoming 76th birthday.

Charles has been honoured with a lullaby called November Sunday, which re-imagines the “chilly, foggy London night” he was born at Buckingham Palace in 1948, and the hope and joy of a recovering post-war Britain.

It also pays tribute to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who was herself a “military wife”, and served in the Armed Forces.

Caroline Paxton, chair of trustees at the Military Wives Choirs, said: “November Sunday is our own heartfelt gift to His Majesty and was inspired by our deep appreciation and admiration for his service to this nation.”

She added: “We hope that he will enjoy listening to the song just as much as we will enjoy performing it.”

The King and the Prince of Wales’ private estates have struck rental deals worth millions of pounds with the armed forces, the NHS and state schools, it has been reported.

An investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches and the Sunday Times examined the land and properties the two leading royals own through the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall.

The investigation reported that last year the Duchy of Lancaster agreed a deal to store a new fleet of electric ambulances, owned by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust in London, in one of the estate’s warehouses at a cost of £11.4 million over 15 years.

It also said the Duchy of Cornwall had charged the navy more than £1 million since 2004 to build and use jetties and moor warships on the Cornish coastline.

The duchy will also earn around £600,000 over the lifetime of six different leases agreed with local state schools, the investigation found.

The Prince of Wales has arrived in South Africa for his Earthshot Prize awards ceremony on Wednesday.

William will start a four-day visit by meeting some of the 120 young environmentalists who will be supported during Earthshot Week in developing skills in leadership, storytelling and networking.

He will also have a high-level meeting with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday, described as a “follow-up” to the leader’s state visit to the UK in 2022.

In her new documentary, Camilla is seen visiting a refuge and speaking candidly with domestic abuse survivors about their deeply personal experiences.

Earlier this year, Camilla backed The Independent’s Brick by Brick campaign to build two new refuges for women fleeing abuse. Thanks to generous donations from readers the initial £300,000 target has recently been reached, with more than £500,000 of donations pouring in so far and plans are already underway for the building of a second home.

Speaking about the importance of refuges in the documentary Camilla says: “You flee and you arrive at this haven. Room of their own, a door they can lock. And as time goes by, they start having their confidence restored and start their life anew.

“These refuges are literally life savers. Without these refuges, where would they go?”

The 90-minute film follows Camilla over the last year as she attends official engagements and never-before-seen private meetings with survivors and campaigners of domestic abuse.

She is seen visiting a refuge and speaking candidly with survivors about their deeply personal experiences, as well as revealing what drove her to spend the last decade raising awareness.

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