Thursday, October 04, 2012

Fact of the Day

Under powers that go back to the year 1337, the Prince Charles, the heir apparent to the British throne, owns the 540 square kilometer duchy that in turn gains possession of any unclaimed property and estates left when someone dies in Cornwall. The duchy has said that it earned a total £1,019,000 since 2006, including £552,000 in the last financial year, from the 700-year-old arrangement. Unclaimed property for dead persons across Britain should go to the British government, but the rule does not apply to the duchy as it is considered a property of the Prince of Wales.

The prince earned £18.3 million from the residential and property rents in the duchy last year while he is totally exempt from all tax - though he voluntarily pays income tax.

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