Financial accounts published by the Duchy of Cornwall, the private estate which funds the public, charitable and private activities of Prince Charles and his family reveal he earned £552,000 from the power this year alone.

Under constitutional law dating back to medieval times, the Prince of Wales is entitled to the estates of people who die without a will in Cornwall. In most of Britain, dying without a will, known as ‘dying intestate’, means money left by the deceased goes to the government.