Wills means business: 'I WILL KEEP THE FAMILY AFLOAT'

The prince has a lot of people relying on his managing of a $2 billion empire

Money is something Prince William has never had to worry about. As a member of the royal family and the future king there's always been plenty in the palace coffers to fund a suitably princely lifestyle.

However, the big changes that resulted following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year mean that not only has William's income skyrocketed thanks to the fact he's inherited the Duchy of Cornwall, but he now bears the extra responsibility of overseeing an empire worth more than $2 billion.

Supported by his wife, the Princess of Wales, in what has been a tricky 11 months of dealing with lots of firsts since losing his grandmother, William, 41, has been throwing himself into overseeing the running of the duchy, one of the largest and oldest estates in the United Kingdom. It covers 534 square kilometres and includes farming, residential and commercial properties.

Last financial year it made a whopping $49.4 million profit - half of which went to the King Charles, because he owned it before it was passed on to his eldest son following Her Majesty's death.

William should have got just under $25 million of the money made, but staff running the duchy asked if they could keep some as "working capital". He obliged and banked a total payout of $12 million. Next year, he will be entitled to all of the profits the duchy makes, which could be four times that amount.