King Charles could make millions from Anglo American potash mine in North York Moors, investigation finds

They examined the land and properties the two leading royals own through the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall.

The Duchies - which are exempt from paying corporation tax or capital gains tax - own hundreds of portions of land across Yorkshire, particularly in mining areas.

This includes the Woodsmith potash mine in the North York Moors National Park, near Whitby.

Work was initially started by a company called Sirius in 2017, before the firm collapse and was bought by Anglo American.

The Sunday Times has reported the King’s duchy is still receiving £102,000 a year for use of the mine, with its 70-year lease.

The mine is not yet fully operational, but if it does the Duchy of Lancaster will get £265,000 a year in rent, and 2.5 per cent of mineral sales.

The King has often spoken out in favour of environmental projects and against climate change.

Yet the Campaign for National Parks and the North York Moors Association oppose the development of the Woodsmith Mine saying it will “damage the special qualities, including the beauty and tranquillity” of the North York Moors National Park.

The King’s duchy will also make at least £15 million from renting land for 50 years to the independent school Harrogate Ladies’ College, the investigation found.

Yorkshire has one of the highest concentrated areas of land owned by both duchies in the country.

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.

A Duchy of Lancaster spokesman said: “The Duchy of Lancaster operates as a commercial company, managing a broad range of land and property assets across England and Wales. It complies with all relevant UK legislation and regulatory standards applicable to its range of business activities.”

“While His Majesty The King takes a close interest in the work of the duchy, the day-to-day management of the portfolio is the responsibility of the council and executive team.”

A Duchy of Cornwall spokesman said: “The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate with a commercial imperative which we achieve alongside our commitment to restoring the natural environment and generating positive social impact for our communities.

“Prince William became Duke of Cornwall in September 2022 and since then has committed to an expansive transformation of the duchy. This includes a significant investment to make the estate net zero by the end of 2032, as well as establishing targeted mental health support for our tenants and working with local partners to help tackle homelessness in Cornwall.”