2025 is already shaping up to be a fantastic year for the British Royal Family. According to a new report, King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the rest of the family are set to receive a massive rise in funding from the government.
In April, the Royal Family's Sovereign Grant, which helps to fund all of their activities, will rise by more than $56 million, per People. As a result, the royals will receive a whopping $165 million in funding.
Not all of the Royal Family's Sovereign Grant is provided by the British government. Instead, "a percentage of the profits of the Crown Estate revenue (initially set at 15%)" contribute, meaning that income from properties like Buckingham Palace factors into the total (via the Royal Family's official website).
During a difficult time for the economy, critics have suggested that the monarchy spend feels a little extravagant. "Campaigners have described the rise as 'scandalous' at a time when the U.K. government is struggling to find money for other things," Town & Country reported.
Of the increased Sovereign Grant, Republic CEO Graham Smith told Town & Country, "This is public money, all of this money comes from the government, at a time when the government is not able to properly fund schools, hospitals, police." He continued, "It is scandalous...Not only should it not be going up at all, it should be going down."
The royals faced some controversy in 2024 when The Sunday Times and Channel 4 conducted an investigation into the Royal Family's income sources. Notably, the investigation scrutinized the Duchy of Cornwall and the Duchy of Lancaster, which are portfolios of private property and land owned by Prince William and King Charles, respectively. The Sunday Times found that "the duchies are making millions of pounds each year by charging government departments, councils, businesses, mining companies, and the general public via a series of commercial rents and feudal levies."
Royal expert Richard Palmer suggested that the general public is more discerning about government spending, which includes the Sovereign Grant. "The days of the Royal Family doing three and a half thousand engagements a year are now long gone, so the public is getting less for their money," he told Town & Country. "I do think that the monarchy in general does a good job for the country and is part of the glue that binds us all together but that doesn't mean that as an institution, as individuals, they should be able to avoid criticism. They are not above scrutiny."
