Queen denied annual allowance for official duties

The Queen will not be granted an annual allowance worth almost £360,000 from parliament to fund official duties – despite the previous consort, Prince Philip, being paid the same sum.

The funding structures of the Royal Family were subject to scrutiny by the National Audit Office (NAO) – the UK’s independent public spending watchdog.

A report on the royal household’s spending and accountability was published on Friday as part of the NAO’s work to improve transparency.

It suggested the King‘s diary is expected to be busier than his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II – in part due to her scaling back engagements due to the pandemic.

The monarch could “alter future funding needs in substantial ways” as a result, the NAO concluded.

The report said: “Parliament provided Prince Philip with a separate annuity worth £359,000 per annum.

“Queen Camilla will not receive a separate annuity and the Queen’s activities will be funded from the (Sovereign) Grant.”

What is the Sovereign Grant?

The Sovereign Grant is a single grant supporting the monarch’s official business as head of state and covers central staff costs and running expenses of the Royal household – including official receptions and parties.

It also funds maintenance of Royal palaces in England and travel costs for engagements and visits.

In exchange, the King gives revenue from the Crown Estate to the government.

The Sovereign Grant is calculated based on 25% of the Crown Estate’s annual profits.

A total of £86.3m was granted for 2022-2023, the same as the previous year.

The Sovereign Grant replaced the former Civil List – which saw the late Queen given a payment, together with a number of government grants, to cover her official expenses – in 2011.

But the late Duke of Edinburgh continued to receive the £359,000 annuity every year despite the change in the way the royal family’s activities were funded by taxpayers.

The new legislation included a provision for Philip, who died aged 99 in 2021, to continue receiving the annuity for his lifetime.

Now, new laws would need to be created in order for Camilla to receive the funding.

The King’s future schedule, which has not yet been finalised, is likely to be busier than his late mother’s, with events and travel reduced in part due to the COVID pandemic.

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“It can reasonably be assumed the King will be hosting more events and travelling to more engagements within the UK and overseas at the request of the government,” the NAO report said.

However, the watchdog suggested there would be sufficient funds from the Sovereign Grant to pay for any extra costs.

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In the past financial year, the royal household’s total expenditure for 2023 was £117.3m – of which, £107.5m was funded by the public.

Millions spent on Buckingham Palace refurbishment

A total of £369m has been earmarked for a 10-year programme to renovate Buckingham Palace, with more than £185m spent between 2017 and 2023, the NAO said.

The royal household said the refurbishment, which includes upgrading cabling, plumbing and heating, is “on track” and is “not expected to go over budget”.

A value-for-money audit report on the major works is due to be published by the NAO next year.

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Plans for an external visitor centre have been abandoned after it was determined a “more suitable solution” is available inside Buckingham Palace, the NAO report found.

New wind farm deals could boost the Crown Estate’s coffers by an extra £1bn a year – which could increase the Sovereign Grant by more than £100m annually.

However, the King asked for wind farm profits to be used for the wider public good in January.

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