The Royal Family’s travel expenses exceeded £3 million last year, with £160,733 spent on four journeys on the Royal Train alone. Prince of Wales led the list of costly trips, notably with his official visit to Saudi Arabia costing £130,106 in total, including expenses for preparatory trips by staff.
The annual report on the royal family’s finances disclosed these figures for the period up to March 2026, showcasing detailed expenses on official engagements. A total of 37 journeys were documented, with King Charles embarking on 13, predominantly within the UK.
Among the notable journeys were the King and Queen’s state visit to Italy costing £126,946, and Prince William’s visit to Brazil for the Earthshot Awards and COP summit, totaling £79,000. The report also highlighted the historical moment when the King and Pope Leo prayed together for unity between Anglicans and Roman Catholics during their visit to the Vatican City.
Additionally, the report outlined other significant trips, such as the Duchess of Edinburgh’s visit to Sarajevo and the Princess Royal’s trip to Ukraine. Helicopter journeys by royal family members totaled 177, amounting to £733,063. The report also revealed an increase in core funding for the monarchy to £100 million annually, with plans to address palace maintenance, cyber security, and energy efficiency improvements.
The new Sovereign Grant formula, approved by Royal Trustees, will allocate £99.9 million as core funding in 2027-28, showing a substantial increase from previous years. This boost aims to enhance infrastructure and operational aspects within the royal residences, including essential upgrades like boiler replacements at Windsor Castle.