NEWS
Prince William cuts Queen Camilla’s sister Annabel Elliott from royal payroll after two decades
Prince William has cut Queen Camilla’s sister from the royal payroll after two decades of service, according to The Telegraph.
Annabel Elliot, 75, has been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past 20 years for her services as an interior designer. King Charles III (who was the Prince of Wales at the time under Queen Elizabeth II’s reign) hired his sister-in-law as chief designer of his estates following his 2005 marriage to Camilla.
Sources confirmed to the publication that William, 42, recently eliminated Elliot’s role, though it was “no reflection on her work,” which included updating and decorating the Duchy holiday cottage portfolio.
Since 2005, Elliot received annual cash infusions “in the normal course of business and on an arm’s length basis” of varying amounts ranging between $25,000 and $106,000 to maintain rental properties as well as the Duchy offices and its plant nursery, according to records obtained by The Telegraph.
The latest Duchy of Cornwall records reveal, however, that Elliot was not paid for her services during the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Sources told the outlet that her “work across the estate is considered complete and the current staff have learned sufficiently from her.”
Despite the drastic pay cut, the king and queen recently employed Elliot to oversee significant improvements to Balmoral’s restaurant and visitors’ center ahead of its opening to the public this summer.
Buckingham Palace sources also confirmed to the newspaper that she would continue to be involved with the household when there are “appropriate opportunities.”
Elliot didn’t immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.
News of Elliot’s removal comes as it was revealed that the Duchy of Cornwall estate, which William inherited when his father ascended the throne, paid the new Prince of Wales $30 million during the 2023-2024 financial year.
In addition to the estate, William also received the Duke of Cornwall title.