Buckingham Palace spending rises as living standards fall

The British monarchy’s spending rose 17% to £102.4 million (US$124 million) in 2022. The Palace's annual sovereign grants report showed that royal spending was up £14.9 million from the previous year. Critics described the spending as excessive amid the UK's cost-of-living crisis. A significant part of the costs about 64 million pounds is for the maintenance and repair of Buckingham Palace. Spending on official travel abroad has also risen as members of the royal family have resumed the practice of visiting foreign countries after the lifting of restrictions due to the coronavirus. The most expensive official royal tour last year was Prince William and his wife Kate's trip to the Caribbean in March, which cost around £226,000. The trip that was intended to strengthen ties with the Commonwealth was instead marred by protests calling for compensation for the period of colonialism and photo opportunities that were criticised as a throwback to the past. A sovereign grant is public funding to support the official duties of the royal family and other expenses such as official travel, salaries for attendants and property maintenance. The grant of £86.3 million in 2021-2022 is based on a share of the profits from the Crown Estate, a vast collection of properties across the UK.   British royals also have other sources of income, including from tourists who pay to visit royal palaces. The tabloid Daily Mirror questioned royal spending with its front page headline: "100 million for the royals?  A record payout for the firm as the nation feels stranded."  And the Republic, an anti-monarchist campaign group, said the costs were too high. “As always while the rest of us are facing a cost-of-living crisis and continued curtailment of public services the royals are walking away with hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayer money,” said group chief executive Graham Smith.