Duchy of Lancaster Theft

[Roussette]

Just when I thought I could not be more taken aback at some of the practices undertaken by our Monarchy, and the sheer greed.

I then read this article. Bottom line.... anyone who dies intestate in Lancashire, and parts of Merseyside, Grtr Manchester, Cheshire and Cumbria... their assets are scooped up by the Duchy of Lancaster who has collected more than £60M over the last 10 years. Not charity as is the norm.. but into the pocket of our King You need to read the article to see what he actually does with it and how it benefits his personal income.

The article explains it well and will answer any questions and queries about it.

Someone yesterday accused me of 'despising' the RF. I disagreed but I am beginning to wonder if that poster was right. Especially when I read something like this.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/23/revealed-king-charles-secretly-profiting-from-the-assets-of-dead-citizens?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Seriously, joke about it if you like. But it’s one thing to be upset that the duchy ends up with the money, quite another to be talking about family members who couldn’t even be bothered to know their relative died as if they deserved the pittance being left. There might be a bad guy benefiting, but there is absolutely no victim here.

I am dealing with an estate right now for a relative who died without a will. I’d gladly sign it over to KC himself if he’d deal with the massive amount of admin for an estate worth almost nothing.

There might be a bad guy benefiting, but there is absolutely no victim here.

Because every situation is the same?

twined I am not sure whether you are being serious or not. So.. just keep in touch with relatives and bingo you won't go through this, and if you did lose touch, your fault, it should go to Charles.

Do you ever watch programmes like Long Lost Family... how families get split up, how families fracture. Have you ever known or spoken to someone who has lost touch with member of their family through no fault of their own, maybe someone who like on MN has been told go NC. Just think about DV, homeless people, family estrangement happens because of abuse, toxic behaviours etc. Some people live in shame because of broken family relationships.

There are actually charities out there that support estranged families... it's not uncommon, life is complicated.

Yet you say, ... all your fault, keep in touch then if you want the money, there's no victim here. I think you're being deliberately provocative to be honest, you must be.

@Roussette I agree, it was insensitively stated by @twined (even if they sort of have a point, if you want the inheritance at all costs you can always maintain contact. Currently observing a very bitter insurance-related battle between some VERY well-off members of my family where one is repeatedly wishing the other dead so they can get their house, while I’ve cut contact and regrettably had to return for various reasons, but despite living hand-to-mouth was at peace with the prospect of being disinherited if I just could not be abused any more). But there are others elsewhere who are totally financially dependent on relatives and the law actually reflects this, you can challenge a will if you’re cut out of it while dependent at the time of death. There are still others who work fiercely hard and save up in the hope of being able to leave something for their DCs, DGCs etc. Even if they’ve lost contact and don’t know how to make a will, it’s really sad that they can’t. It’s very easy for someone like me to say “just go to Smith’s and get a form” or “just draw up a quick document complying with the formalities in the Wills Act 1873” but quite apart from anything else most people wouldn’t have the first idea, might not be able to afford a solicitor and probably don’t want to contemplate their own demise.

maybe someone who like on MN has been told go NC. Instead of working things out like adults.

@derxa this is probably going to be a very angry comment. I have been told that if I didn’t move out and lower contact with my mother, social services would be involved. By my GP. Who has treated both of us for eight years. But sure, my abusive and violent mother who has failed to sort anything out like an adult for the entirety of my lifetime at least is absolutely going to sit down and have a nice reasonable adult discussion about how she’s broken me in multiple ways and that’s going to have a positive outcome. That’s definitely realistic. Sometimes people on MN are a bit quick IMO to suggest no or low contact, particularly with regard to minor transgressions by spouses, but sometimes it’s serious and often it’s very good advice. It takes two to tango and sometimes someone has to walk away from the dance.

@CeciledeVolangesdeNouveau

Indeed. I always think... that could be me, and I am just lucky it just happens not to be.

derxa well... you ought to go and post on some threads where people are beside themselves and distraught about a toxic family member and just say 'why don't you just sit down and work it out like adults'.
I am not sure you'd leave the room alive 😲

I'm sorry for what you're going through and distancing yourself from your mother is clearly the right move. Of course I didn't mean you. There's a lot on here that's clearly exaggerated and made up. I get a bit fed up of the bile directed at MILs if I'm honest. (I'm not a MIL btw)

I do agree about the MILs. I have seen the most ridiculous threads demonising a MIL ! I could quote them but won't!

I tend to avoid those threads like the plague. And who knows what is real and what is not.

@Serenster
What nonsense !
Digital exclusion??
Firstly if the Windsors were truly concerned with inclusion they’d publish in a newspaper AND online - now why don’t they ?

Secondly there is no predictable pattern as to the publishing in the Times - the put the names in the paper as and when it suits them .
This issue is simply more greed and it has gone international

The clumsy attempt at controlling the bad PR has made things worse - the strings are showing ( oh throw it into ethical investments but Charles stil pockets the money- the plebs won’t notice )

Just out of interest, what is the source for the limited publication of bv estates in the Duchies? I don’t doubt it, but I’ve been looking and can’t find a statement about it.

It’s in the Guardian article by Norman Baker I think

💐yes, I had two violent parents growing up, and although one relationship was able to recover in adulthood, one was not. It's sad, but abusive families exist and I hate the way this board minimises this, repeatedly.

In any case, many of the unclaimed estates will not have children they're estranged from, but literally nobody close to leave it to. It doesn't mean it should go to the King. It's bizarre to me people are still going on about this part of the topic and have resorted to frankly, mean spirited and unkind comments on other peoples families.

The actual point of the thread is the fact this law is morally wrong, and the late Queen and now King have lied about where the Duchy of Lancaster money is going. Meanwhile the only member of the royal family who is a person of colour is constantly criticised on this same board for 'lying'. None of her 'lies' involved pretending to give to charity when she was instead pocketing public money for private use. It's quite something to witness the hypocrisy and double standards.

I didn’t use the word limited -I don’t know what you mean by that

The ‘royals’ do not publish in accordance with government websites . Why not ? Why not publish with the government or at least online and then publish in the Times too if they think that’s important
Norman Baker used the phrase ‘ as and when ‘

in various articles, but also try looking for information about their lists, you won't find it.

So agree with all of this.

Why not online and in the paper? If you look at the website of Farrer & Co law firm who handle this for the Duchies, ye gods it's convoluted to find out what to do. Plenty of forms to fill out, that's for sure.
But I knew this firm handled this so could google them, what about people who haven't got a clue?

They have to buy the Times every day?
The Duchies must deliberately making this difficult for their own ends.

I was contacted by an heir hunter - I thought it was a scam phone call! To cut a long story short, I (and many other relatives) had a cousin about ten times removed about whom no one knew. I inherited a small sum.

I felt guilty. If only this person had made a will and left their money to the cats’ home etc. No one knew him. Yet there were greedy relatives arguing about their share - unbelievable. Frankly it might as well have gone to the state (to waste) or even the King: how can you miss, let alone be angry about, what you weren’t expecting?

I’m sorry to read about your troubles @Iwantcakeeveryday and everyone above .

But this from Iwantcake bears repeating - thank you for cutting through the deflection

“The actual point of the thread is the fact this law is morally wrong, and the late Queen and now King have lied about where the Duchy of Lancaster money is going. Meanwhile the only member of the royal family who is a person of colour is constantly criticised on this same board for 'lying'.

Like I just said, it isn't about distant relatives not getting something they're owed, its about the fact it shouldn't be going to the former Queen and now King for personal use, or any use. Like in most countries, and indeed counties in England and Wales, it should go to the state.

It’s wrong! The money should ideally be used locally - to the deceased. This should be better known about to persuade people to make a will!

I take PPs point about at least the government aren’t able to use the money to send people to Rwanda.

@derxa and @Roussette thanks for your responses. No desire to derail although I know this is going to be off on a tangent. I’m on the unassertive end of the abused by family spectrum but enough courage to tell people about it. Others have suffered much more than I have at the hands of their parents or other family members and have found the strength to distance themselves. Of course it’s hurtful to the relevant family member, how could it not be? But sometimes it’s necessary to survive.

Thanks. I can’t see it in there. There have been quite a few comments about publication in The Times, which is quite specific, so I imagine the information must be somewhere. There’s nothing said on the government’s online list about it.

I wondered about trawling the online Treasury list to see if I could find any Duchy postcodes, but then thought ‘life’s too short’ - rather aptly.

““The actual point of the thread is the fact this law is morally wrong, and the late Queen and now King have lied about where the Duchy of Lancaster money is going. Meanwhile the only member of the royal family who is a person of colour is constantly criticised on this same board for 'lying'.

Meanwhile the only member of the royal family who is a person of colour is constantly criticised on this same board for 'lying'.

👏 👏👏

Yes, the whole point is, there is nothing on dot gov about it.

However, on Farrer's the law firm who deal with the Duchies, there is a list of postcodes. But I only know this because I am interested and have started a MN thread. Joe Bloggs down the road wouldn't know

See here. You can click on Duchy of Lancaster or Cornwall

https://www.farrer.co.uk/campaigns/bona-vacantia/deceased-individuals/