Prince Charles' Eco-Fund Whacked by Credit Crunch

Royal accounts reveal surge in spending

(NEWSER) - Anti-monarchists in Britain are wondering why public spending on Prince Charles and his household shot up 18% at a time when most government departments are grappling with major cutbacks. The prince's annual accounts show that government grants to cover things like his official travel and the upkeep of his residence rose to $3.13 million over the last year, reports the Independent. More»

'Their royal highnesses are unharmed'

(NEWSER) - Even Prince Charles got a taste of how angry British students are over a big hike in university fees. Protesters smashed a window of the prince's Rolls Royce and splashed paint on the car as he and Camilla were being driven through London. The prince's office confirms, in style: "Their royal highnesses' car was attacked by protesters on the way to their engagement at the London Palladium this evening, but their royal highnesses are unharmed." They arrived at the theater looking unruffled. More»

(NEWSER) - It's belt-tightening, royal style. Prince Charles and Camilla slashed their personal spending by about $1 million (American) last year because of the recession, reports the Guardian. Among the draconian cutbacks: Charles skipped his usual ski holiday to Switzerland, and Camilla scrapped her annual sailing trip to Greece. Both are said to be getting more wear out of their pricey clothes. More»

(NEWSER) - Caustic socialite Brooke Astor lashed Camilla Parker Bowles for perpetuating the "family mistress business" by sleeping with Prince Charles even while he was married to Diana, reports the Guardian. "Your grandmother would be proud of you," snorted Astor, referring to Camilla's great-grandmother, who was believed to be one of Edward VII's many mistresses. Charles finally married Parker Bowles in 2005, eight years after Princess Diana was killed in a Paris car crash. More»

Future king warns about the deleterious effects of global warming

(NEWSER) - Nations have “less than 100 months” to avoid the irreversible damage caused by global warming, Prince Charles will tell business leaders this week in Rio. The British royal, an ardent climate-change activist, will deliver the dire warning as he begins a 10-day South American tour—a trip designed to burnish his reputation as an international statesman, the Telegraph reports. More»