The British royal family never fails to surprise people, and now they are in the news again. However, this time it’s not for a good reason. A report by PEOPLE reveals that the amount of money the British royal family gets from the U.K. Treasury will substantially rise in 2025. And the UK public isn’t too happy with this.
What is the whole controversy about?
As per the report, in April 2025, the money given from the British public purse to the British monarchy will increase by roughly $56 million (roughly INR 4,801,285,160). This will make the total funding of the Sovereign Grant a whopping $165 million (INR 14,147,000,505)– a figure which has irked the public as the U.K. government is struggling to get money for other items. For the unversed, the Sovereign Grant is the money which is paid to the British monarchy by the U.K.’s Treasury.
This is not the first time that the amount of money the British royal family will be getting has been increased. In 2024, the palace had shared that a major part of this money would be utilised for renovating the Buckingham Palace which will cost around $462 million (i.e. INR ₹39,632,947,200) and is expected to be done by 2027. However, the palace did not disclose how much of this money was being used.
Considering that this increase in the Royal family’s money is coming at a time when the British government is struggling to get funds for other tasks, many people have criticised the move. “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… It is scandalous. Not only should it not be going up at all, it should be going down,” Graham Smith, CEO of Republic, said, reported Town & Country.
It is noted that people’s unrest has increased more after the 2024 documentary ‘The King, The Prince and Their Secret Millions’. The documentary questioned King Charles’ (the current ruler) and Prince William’s (the heir to the throne) incomes from the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall, respectively.
For those who don’t know, the Duchies are land and property portfolios and they give the monarch and the legit heir to the throne an income. And so, as per PEOPLE in the last financial year, the Duchy of Lancaster paid the King roughly $34.3 million pounds, while the Duchy of Cornwall paid the heir to the throne- Prince William roughly $29.5 million.
Many people in the UK argue that the Duchies belong to the State, and so its money should be given to the U.K. Treasury and be used for the public. But, in November 2024, the spokespersons for the Duchies had told PEOPLE in a statement that they– the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall– were private.
However, this is not the first time that the people of the UK have raised their questions and concerns about the money spent on the monarchy. While some argue that the monarchy is outdated and should be abolished, others consider it a part of British history and culture and hence support it. What are your views on it? Tell us in the comments section below.
