Why the Queen Mother left Prince Harry more money than Prince William

The Queen Mother wanted to make sure Harry would be financially secure after her death. Photo / Getty Images

It's not surprising that when Princess Diana died in 1997, her money was divided equally between her sons William and Harry.

But when the Queen Mother died five years later, Prince Harry inherited a much larger portion of his great-grandmother's £14 million ($27 million) fortune than his older brother Prince William, reports the Sun.

And the reason is very sweet. Since William is second in line to the throne, the Queen's late mother wanted to protect Harry's financial future.

When Prince Charles becomes King, William will inherit his title and role as Prince of Wales, taking over the Duchy of Cornwall and all the private estate that goes with it.

But Harry, the second son and sixth in line to the throne, will get nothing.

The exact amount Harry inherited is unknown, but a 2002 BBC report said the "bulk" of the Queen Mother's money would go to him "since William will benefit financially by becoming king".

After her death in 2002, the Queen Mother left her estate (including the contents of her homes) to her daughter. Her prized collection of Monet paintings was donated to the Royal Collection and displayed at Buckingham Palace.

During their tell-all interview with Oprah this month, Harry told the talk show host that when he, Meghan and Archie left the UK, they were reliant on money from his mother, Princess Diana.

During the two-hour special, Harry stated that after being "cut off financially" from the royals early last year, he was left with no other choice.

When Prince Charles becomes king, William will gain his title and the duchy of Cornwall. Photo / Getty Images

Harry told Oprah: "I've got what my mum left me and, without that, we wouldn't have been able to do this.

"It's like she saw it coming and she's been with us through this whole process."

Harry didn't reveal the sum during his chat with Oprah, but the Sun understands Harry was left $11 million when his mother died 23 years ago.

This increased to $18m when he turned 30 after the money acquired interest through investments.

The money originally came from Diana's divorce from Charles, as well as shares she held, jewellery, cash and personal belongings.