Prince William has decided not to retain the services of Queen Camilla’s sister Annabel Elliot, who worked as an interior designer for the Duchy of Cornwall for almost two decades.
After William’s father, King Charles III, ascended to the throne in 2022, the 41-year-old prince inherited the title of the Duke of Cornwall as well as the Duchy of Cornwall, a royal estate with an estimated worth over $1 billion.
Since taking ownership of the estate, William has removed Elliot, 75, from the Duchy of Cornwall payroll, according to the Telegraph.
Sources who spoke with the outlet said that William “would no longer employ Ms Elliot, although it was no reflection on her work.”
“Her extensive interiors work across the estate is considered complete and the current staff have learnt sufficiently from her,” the insiders added.
Charles hired Elliot as the chief designer of his estates in 2005 after the then-Prince of Wales married Camilla. According to the Telegraph, Elliot earned “several hundred thousand pounds for her services” over the years, and she was paid through the Duchy of Cornwall.
Per the outlet, Elliot’s work included decorating and updating the Duchy of Cornwall’s rental holiday cottages in Cornwall, Wales and the Isles of Scilly.
In addition, Elliot was tapped to oversee the refurbishment of a 20-bedroom pub in the King’s Poundbury development in Dorset. She also oversaw the conversion of two cottages and a lodge for guests at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland.
However, this year’s Integrated Annual Report, which details the accounting of the Duchy of Cornwall, indicated that Elliot had not received payment or reimbursement for any work between 2023 and 2024.
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The report, which was published Wednesday, stated, “During the period to 8th September 2022 the Duchy paid Mrs. Annabel Elliot, the 24th Duke of Cornwall’s sister-in-law, in the normal course of business and on an arm’s length basis £19,625 [$25,276.51] for fees and commission and £12,316 [$15,862.70] for the purchase of furniture, furnishings and retail stock for the Duchy of Cornwall Holiday accommodation, Duchy offices and Duchy Nursery.”
The same line had previously appeared in the 2023 report and accounted for six months of spending while Charles still held the title of the Duke of Cornwall up until his ascension to the throne on Sept. 8 after the passing of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
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“At 31st March 2024, there was £nil (2023: £nil) [nothing] remaining payable to Mrs. Elliot in respect of these,” the report added.
According to the Telegraph, the Duchy previously stated that contracts for its design work were not open to other bidders.
Camilla, 75, shares a close relationship with her younger sister, and the two recently stepped out together to attend Wimbledon in London.
