The report on royal finances from Republic argues that state funding for the Royal Household, known as the Sovereign Grant, is only a fraction of the real cost to taxpayers…reports Asian Lite News
The real cost of the Royal Family to taxpayers is £510m a year – nearly six times more than the £86m of state funding from the annual Sovereign Grant – anti-monarchy campaigners claim.
The Republic group says its higher total includes other factors such as security, not counted in the Sovereign Grant, which it estimates as £150m. “How can we talk about cutting the winter fuel allowance while wasting half a billion pounds on the royals?” said Republic’s chief executive, Graham Smith.
Keeper of the Privy Purse Sir Michael Stevens, who looks after the King’s financial affairs, has previously spoken of the “determination to deliver value for money” in royal finances.
The report on royal finances from Republic argues that state funding for the Royal Household, known as the Sovereign Grant, is only a fraction of the real cost to taxpayers.
The anti-monarchists argue that in debates about public spending and tight finances, then the full picture of royal funding needs to be recognised. The biggest extra hidden cost claimed by Republic is for security for the royals, which isn’t part of the calculation of the Sovereign Grant, which covers spending such as staffing, travel and the upkeep of royal buildings.
The anti-monarchy campaign group says the government should provide an accurate figure for the cost of royal security. But in the absence of an official figure, the report estimates that £150m is “indicative of a likely cost”, which they’ve based on press reports of security costs.
The anti-monarchy group’s £510m total also includes “lost income” to taxpayers. This includes £99m from the property businesses of the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, with the report saying that should go to the public purse, rather than funding the King and the Prince of Wales.
A further £96m could be raised in revenue from royal residences if they were used for commercial purposes, claims the report. Other hidden costs claimed by the report include spending on royal visits by local authorities.
Republic attacks the current funding for the royals as opaque and secretive and a “scandalous abuse of public money”. A head of state should have running costs of £5m-£10m a year, it says, and the King should have an annual salary of £189,000, with increases pegged to that of the prime minister.
Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on the report.
But the latest accounts for the Sovereign Grant, published in July, show state funding for the Royal Household will remain at £86.3m for 2024-25 and rise to £132m in 2025-26. The level of funding is calculated against the profits of the Crown Estate, with next year’s rise reflecting increased income from offshore wind farms.
“This is now the third year for which the Sovereign Grant has not increased by one single penny, despite the supplementary costs incurred by the change of reign and despite the double-digit inflationary pressures that have impacted on goods and services for all organisations in that same period,” Michael said earlier this year. “What has remained constant is the determination to deliver value for money in ensuring the Royal Family are able to serve our communities to the best of their abilities, even in difficult personal circumstances.”
Kate planning Christmas service after chemotherapy
The Princess of Wales has been working on her annual Christmas carol service – one of the highlights of the royal calendar, it has emerged.
Kate was mentioned in the Court Circular after holding a meeting about the event with aides and members of her Royal Foundation at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.
It is only the fourth time she has been mentioned in the official record of royal engagements since her cancer health scare at the beginning of the year. The service will be held at Westminster Abbey for the fourth year in a row and will be broadcast on ITV on Christmas Eve.
The princess is expected to host the service and is likely to be joined by her husband, children and other royals.
Kate recently announced the completion of her chemotherapy treatment in a highly personal video with her family. She said her focus was on “doing what I can to stay cancer free” in a video showing her outdoors with Prince William and her children.
Her work on the Christmas carol service represents another step towards the future queen returning to a full programme of engagements. The princess had been receiving chemotherapy for an undisclosed form of cancer since late February.
The King began his cancer care earlier in the same month after being diagnosed with an enlarged prostate.
While undergoing treatment Kate attended the King’s birthday parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, in June. The following month she presented the winning trophy in the men’s Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz. Both engagements were mentioned in the Court Circular.