Prince William Cuts Camilla's Sister from Royal Payroll

Prince William has opted not to continue the employment of Annabel Elliot, sister of Queen Camilla, who has served as an interior designer for the Duchy of Cornwall for nearly 20 years. Following King Charles III's ascension to the throne in 2022, William inherited the title of Duke of Cornwall and the Duchy, a royal estate valued at over $1 billion. Reports indicate that William's decision to remove Elliot, 75, from the payroll is not a reflection of her work but rather a strategic move as he believes her extensive contributions to the estate are complete. Elliot was initially hired by Charles in 2005 after his marriage to Camilla, and she has been compensated handsomely for her services over the years, reportedly earning several hundred thousand pounds. Her projects included the decoration of rental holiday cottages across Cornwall, Wales, and the Isles of Scilly, as well as overseeing refurbishments at various properties, including a pub in Dorset and guest accommodations at Dumfries House in Scotland. However, the Duchy of Cornwall's recent Integrated Annual Report revealed that Elliot has not received any payments for her work between 2023 and 2024. The report, published on Wednesday, detailed that payments made to her prior to September 2022 were standard and on an arm's length basis, with no outstanding amounts owed as of March 31, 2024. The Duchy has previously stated that its design contracts were not open to competitive bidding, raising questions about the future of interior design services under William's management.