The British Royal Family is still a public figure that uses up taxpayer's money for their expenses. Although they have other income-generating sources, there is still an allocated amount called the Sovereign Grant which funds the Queen and the rest of the royal household their official duties. Last Tuesday, the annual report was released, and now British taxpayers can see where their money is going.
Royalty is something of high standards, and everything in it is a high profile that comes with a price. The British Royal Family is not only a figurehead of the state, but they can contribute much to the economy and wellbeing of the country's citizen. With their charities and advocacies, their help and support not only extends to the UK but also all the nation in times of crisis or calamities.
Before knowing their expenses, it is best to know what they have contributed for the past year, which is more than what other royalties have given to their country, explained by Craig Campbell. The British Royal Family contributed £595m through tourism, merchandise, and the arts. In the past five years, they added £2.8billion to the UK economy, which is 18 times more than Belgium's royals and 29 times more than the Spanish monarchy.
According to Campbell, while seeing the royals using private jets and lush hotels on their trips, it is best to remember how much their trips have brought in money and tourists from all over the world which helps the country's economy. Not only that, but the country's stability comes from a strong foundation of its Monarchy, and without it, centuries-long traditions will be gone, making the nation lost like an orphaned without a mother or a father.
Going back to Tuesday's report, The Royal Household published its annual financial statement for the financial year which was used for renovations on residences, the upkeep of Buckingham Place, and official trips and more. An estimated 140 official duties underwent by the Queen last year, and more than 3,200 engagements by royals in the UK and overseas, with Prince Charles and Camilla having the most expensive official foreign trip: their tour of the Caribbean, including a landmark first official royal visit to Communist Cuba, in March, cost £416,576 and their tour of West Africa in the autumn cost £216,312.
The report consists of £82.2 million paid out by the grant last year, comprising a core grant of £49.3 million - 74p per person - to fund the general running of the Royal Family, and an extra £32.9 million - 50p per person, a total of £1.24 each person in the UK. The Royal Household only used £67 million of the £82.2 million it received from the Sovereign Grant and the rest was put in a reserve fund ready to pay for future refurbishment work at Buckingham Palace.
Further expenditures include a £1 million to resurface the drive at Kensington Palace, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge live, and £700,000 on new central heating in the private apartments of the Queen and other family members at Windsor Castle. Taking note that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Frogmore Cottage renovation cost a staggering NZ$4.58 million, but not to worry because the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent NZ$8.6 million redoing apartment 1A at Kensington Palace before they moved in 2014.
