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King Charles set to make tens of millions from mining operation despite being patron of environmental charities

KING Charles is on a collision course with environmental charities he patronises over plans to make tens of millions from a controversial mining operation.

The monarch, 75, will score a bumper payday if the Woodsmith potash mine gets up and running.

a man in a white robe with a cross on it
Bav Media
King Charles arrives at church in Norfolk yesterday[/caption]
a man in a suit and blue shirt smiles for the camera
AP
Prince William and the King earn millions from the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall[/caption]

The details emerged in an investigation into what the King and William earn from the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, which cash in from the NHS, military — and even toilets.

The proposed potash mine in North York Moors National Park would be the world’s largest.

But objections have come from two organisations that have the King as patron: the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

They say the project threatens tourism and wildlife habitats, warn of the impact from HGVs, and that potash mining could contaminate water supplies.

It was initially being run by Sirius, then bought by mining giant Anglo American.

There were plans for a 23-mile tunnel to send raw material for processing at Teesside, although it is unclear if that is still taking place.

The Duchy of Lancaster is still receiving £102,000 a year because of a 70-year lease with the mine.

If the mine gets up and running the King will boost annual earnings to £256,000 and collect a 2.5 per cent cut of mineral sales, expected to run into billions.

Charles’s income from the Duchy of Lancaster was £27.4million in 2023/24.

The Duchy of Cornwall made Wills £23million last year.

Both estates are exempt from corporation or capital gains tax.

Their income is separate from the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant which pays for the King’s official duties.

Neither Charles nor Wills are legally obliged to pay income tax but both have offered to do so.

Charles also stands to make £4million from a deal for the rights to mine gypsum rock under land near the England team’s training ground at St George’s Park, Staffs.

The FA, of which Prince William is a patron, have previously objected, saying the mines could cause the pitches to collapse.

Last year the King asked for profits from a £1billion-a-year Crown Estate wind farm deal to be used for the “wider public good” rather than as a funding boost for the monarchy.

But the investigation, by Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Sunday Times, found Charles would still make at least £28million from wind farms due to a feudal right to charge for cables crossing land belonging to the Duchy of Lancaster.

The investigation claims the Duchy of Cornwall signed a £37million deal to lease Dartmoor Prison to the Ministry of Justice, and a deal to allow the Army to train on Dartmoor.

a map showing nhs warehouses in london

The NHS will pay the Duchy of Lancaster at least £11million in rent over the next 15 years to store electric vehicles in a London warehouse.

The duchies have lease deals with several state schools, and will make £15million from Harrogate Ladies College in North Yorkshire over 50 years.

The investigation claims private residential properties rented by both duchies fail to meet ­minimum energy efficiency requirements.

Some 14 per cent of homes leased by the Duchy of Cornwall, and 13 per cent by Lancaster, have a performance rating of F or G, despite it being against the law for landlords to rent properties rated below an E since 2020.

The royals’ varied investment portfolio includes an industrial unit used by a beauty products company in Blackburn, making them £5.5million, and a Southend shopping centre, making them £1.3million.

Charles’ duchy also leases out Barthomley services in Cheshire, which houses a KFC and a Shell garage.

William gets £60 a year from the Council of the Scilly Isles for a toilet

Parks, scout huts and bridges are among the duchies’ 5,410 total assets.

Some of the King’s land in Derbyshire is rented to a portable lavatory supplier named ExcLOOSive.

William gets £60 a year from the Council of the Scilly Isles for a toilet.

A Duchy of Lancaster spokesperson said it complies with all UK legislation and regulatory standards.

They added: “Currently, over 87 per cent of all Duchy-let properties are rated E or above. The remainder are awaiting scheduled improvement works or are exempted.”

The Duchy of Cornwall said William was committed to an expansive transformation, “including making the estate Net Zero by the end of 2032, mental health ­support and tackling homelessness.”

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

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Sir David Attenborough, 98, sparks concern among viewers after noticing ‘change’ in new series Asia

VIEWERS were left concerned for legendary Sir David Attenborough after spotting a ‘change’ in his new show.

The beloved natural historian, 98, narrates BBC documentary series Asia.

a man in a blue shirt sits on a tree stump in the woods
BBC
Sir David Attenborough narrates the new BBC series Asia[/caption]
a red panda is hanging from a tree branch
BBC
The documentary series covers the natural wonders of the world’s largest continent[/caption]
a couple of birds standing in the snow with their wings outstretched
BBC
It took four years to get all the footage for seven episodes[/caption]

Airing on BBC One, the programme covers the titular continent’s natural wonders.

However, some fans observed Sir David’s voice was at a higher pitch than usual – suspecting it had been adjusted in some way.

Taking to social media, one person wrote: “Anyone else confused as to why the voice of the amazing Sir David Attenborough sounds different?

“It’s like it’s been autotuned.”

Another commented: “David Attenborough now sounds like a bad David Attenborough impersonator – like the new faux-Sallis Wallace.

“Perhaps he’s AI now?”

While a third added: “It’s definitely been tweaked in some way. To begin with I thought it was someone else narrating.”

Yet another chimed in: “Hi @BBCEarth, Not sure having David Attenborough sound like a chipmunk is a fine example of post-production. What a shame.”

Asia marks the first time the world’s largest continent has been the focus of a major BBC wildlife production.

It took four years to get the footage for the seven episodes comprising Asia, each of them an hour long.

Show bosses used cutting edge filming techniques to capture Asian wildlife in its natural habitat.

The Himalayan foothills showcase elusive red pandas to the BBC audience.

Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, elephants are shown halting buses on highways to beg for food from passengers.

Other filming locations include Nepal, Iran‘s Lut Desert and Lake Baikal, the oldest and deepest freshwater lake in the world.

Additionally, viewers have the chance to see complex conservation challenges that different areas in Asia face.

BBC's best nature shows

The BBC has a wide range of wildlife shows - and here is a selection of some of the best.

  • Springwatch
  • Autumnwatch
  • Planet Earth
  • Animal Park
  • The Green Planet
  • Dynasties
  • Hive Alive

Sreya Biswas, BBC’s Head of Commissioning for Natural History, previously said: “We are absolutely delighted to have Sir David Attenborough presenting our fantastic new landmark series Asia for BBC One.

“Asia is a continent steeped in beauty and intrigue with some of the most wonderfully diverse habitats on the planet.

“A feast for the eyes, bringing these incredible locations and wildlife to the screen, with some behaviours never seen before, has been really exciting.”

Asia airs on BBC One and is also available on iPlayer.

a man in a blue jacket and white shirt smiles for the camera
Getty
Sir David has been a beloved television institution for decades[/caption]

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Man Utd star Lisandro Martinez endangered Cole Palmer’s safety and was extremely lucky not to be given red card

LISANDRO MARTINEZ was extremely lucky not to receive a red card for serious foul play on Cole Palmer.

The Manchester United defender’s studs caught the Chelsea playmaker high on his left knee.

a soccer player with the number 6 on his jersey
Lisandro Martinez escaped a red card for a knee-high challenge on Cole Palmer
PA
a soccer player with the number 6 on his jersey
VAR reviewed it and decided to stick with the on-field decision of a yellow card
PA
a referee wearing a nike shirt is running on the field
Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey believes Martinez was lucky
AFP

Referee Rob Jones deemed it was a yellow card for a reckless challenge — but VAR Michael Salisbury should have intervened to upgrade the punishment to a red.

Martinez endangered the safety of Palmer and knew what he was doing by stopping the attack at all costs.

The challenge occurred in stoppage time at the end of the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca insisted during his post-match interview that it was an obvious red card offence.

He said: “I think there is not intention to take the ball and the foul is quite dangerous.”

In his press conference he then added: “They show me before the press conference, I think it is quite clear for all of us.

“The referee is there to make a decision, he took a different decision.

“For me, when there is no intention to go for the ball and just the player, is a red.”

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Man Utd legend Gary Neville agreed Martinez was fortunate to avoid being dismissed.

On commentary, the former England right-back said: “When you go that high I think you’re asking for a red card. I think he’s lucky.

“When you go knee-high and the ball’s gone, I think it’s a red.”

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Britain’s most common scam this year revealed – and how to protect yourself

a person is typing on a laptop with a red triangle with an exclamation point on it
Getty

FAKE parcel delivery texts was the most common scam this year, a survey shows.

Four in ten people said they had been targeted by fraudsters sending the hoax notifications — urging them to click on dodgy links to ­reschedule a delivery or pay a bogus fee.

Other common scams included false social media ­marketplace listings and AI voice cloning, the poll found.

Nearly three in ten were targeted by fraudsters posing as friends or family and a similar proportion experienced ticket scams.

Advancements in AI were also found to be contributing to new forms of scams.

Deepfake software, automated phishing systems and chat-bots allowed tricksters to create highly convincing scams.

People aged 18 to 24 were targeted the most, with six in ten experiencing or knowing someone who ­suffered financially.

In contrast, just one in seven over-65s lost money to scammers themselves or were aware of someone who had.

Stuart Skinner, from NatWest, which carried out the survey, said: “Fake parcel delivery texts are the fastest-growing scam this year.

“Think about it: would a real delivery company ask you to follow a link and make a payment?

“Be wary of urgent messages or those asking for payments or to download an app — this will often contain spyware.”

a person is typing on a laptop with a red triangle with an exclamation point on it
Getty
Fake parcel delivery texts was the most common scam this year[/caption]

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