Charles's money grows, 'footprint' shrinks

London: An annual review of Prince Charles's accounts released on Monday show his income increased last year, while his carbon footprint decreased.

The eco-friendly prince even has an Aston Martin that runs on wine.

The accounts said the prince made more than £16 million (Dh117 million) from property and investments between April 1, 2007 and March 31 this year, 7 per cent more than in 2006-7. Charles paid £3.4 million (Dh25 million) in tax, £5,000 (Dh36,700) less than the year before.

The prince's office said greater use of green energy and fewer plane and car journeys helped Charles cut the amount of carbon dioxide he produced by 18 per cent to 2,795 tons. Charles has promised to reduce his emissions of greenhouse gases by 25 per cent between 2007 and 2012.

Official duties

The report said Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, travelled 60,000 kilometres on official duties, and overseas travel accounted for the largest chunk of the prince's carbon footprint.

For domestic travel, the prince's Jaguars, Audi and Range Rover now run entirely on biodiesel made from used cooking oil, and his 38-year-old Aston Martin is fuelled by bioethanol from surplus wine.

The prince has also installed wood-chip stoves at his country homes - the Highgrove estate, where he farms organically, and Birkhall in Scotland - and energy-efficient boilers at his Clarence House residence in London.

"I hope it shows a good picture," said royal aide Sir Michael Peat. "I really do believe that the contribution their royal highnesses make to national life continues to develop and broaden."

Charles's official spending, including money spent on charitable work and official duties, was £10.4 million (Dh76.3 million). His personal spending, which includes the salaries of 30 full-time staff, was £2.2 million (Dh16.1 million), down from £2.6 million.

However, Charles's thrifty gene appears to have skipped his oldest son. A British newspaper reported on Monday that five helicopter flights taken by Prince William during his training with the Royal Air Force had cost taxpayers more than £50,000 (Dh367,000).