We never doubted that travel as a member of the royal family would be pricey and with the release of the royal family’s financial report for the past 12 months released on Monday, it’s clear we were not wrong.
The Sovereign Grant Report revealed that the overall total cost of royal travel between April 2018 and March 2019 came in at a cool £2.7 million (that’s NZD $5.16 million), but what’s even more surprising is that almost half of the hefty sum went to covering the cost of travel for just one member of the royal family – Charles, The Prince of Wales.
Indeed, the future King, who is often accompanied by his wife Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, spent £1.3 million on travel (NZD$2.48 million) for his royal engagements over the past year, which is up by almost a third on the previous year.
The Prince of Wales and Duchess Camilla in Cuba in March. (Image: Getty)
And while the year included overseas travel to 14 different countries, Prince Charles’ most used mode of transport is in fact the train, but one trip alone can cost a staggering £20,000 (NZD $38,250).
Of course this doesn’t mean that his overseas tours didn’t stack up too, with the most costly engagement of the year being Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla’s 12-day trip to the Caribbean Islands and Cuba in March, which cost an eye-watering £416,576 (NZD$796,800).
Following the release of the financial report Clarence House confirmed some of the big milestones for the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall over the past year on Twitter, which included 638 official engagements, visits to 82 UK towns and 14 countries visited.
The Sovereign Grant, which is a grant given to The Queen by the UK Government, covers all official journeys taken by or in support of The Queen and other members of the royal family and also includes the cost of staff travelling in advance for any preparations that are needed.
According to the report, all overseas visits funded by the Sovereign Grant are determined by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and approved by the Royal Visits Committee.
Other expensive trips included Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla’s official trips to France and Greece in May 2018 and their trip to Jordan and Israel, along with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s visit to Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji, which cost £81,002 (NZD$154,900).
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern greets the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Wellington during their 2018 tour. (Image: Getty)
The release of the financial report also revealed the amount spent on renovations and restorations of the royal palaces and estates, which the royal family carry out on behalf of the nation (it’s one of the main reasons why the government gives the royal family the Sovereign Grant).
Some of this included £32.9 million (NZD $41.9 million) on the Buckingham Palace restoration project and £2.4 million (NZD $4.6 million) on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Frogmore Cottage.
The figure spent on Frogmore Cottage is less than what was previously estimated to have cost for the British tax payer, and it was also revealed that all furniture, interior design, landscape design and “moveable” things were covered for by the couple privately.
Additionally anything deemed ‘too expensive’ to be covered by the taxpayer also had to be covered by the couple – for example if they wanted a completely new fit-out for the kitchen.
Frogmore Cottage at Windsor (Image: Getty)
The Duke and Duchess moved into their first family home, gifted to them by The Queen, in early April this year, just in time to welcome their first child, Archie, the following month.
The couple are said to be enjoying their new life on the Windsor Estate with a trusted confidant telling ELLE, that they love being out of the hustle and bustle of London.
“For them all to be able to walk freely and enjoy the beautiful area is such a sensational treat.”
