Planes, trains and a redecoration – the Queen sets out accounts

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jun/26/queens-accounts-revealed-increase-public-purse

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The refurbishment of the Kensington Palace apartment for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, a renovation boosted by £4.5m of taxpayers' money, has made the space neither "lavish" nor "opulent" but just like "an ordinary family home", according to royal aides.

The full cost of re-servicing the 20-room apartment has been revealed in the accounts of Buckingham Palace, which show the cost of the monarchy to the public purse last year was £35.7m, excluding the unknown bill for security for family members and to local authorities for official visits.

The £3.4m spent last year, in addition to the £1.1m of the year before, on the palace's apartment 1A, contributed to an increase in the Queen's official expenditure year-on-year of £2.4m.

Aides said that the costs were for "simple redecoration", done "to a very comfortable but ordinary level". The Cambridges were "extremely sensitive to the fact that public funds were paying for a lot of this work", said one source, and had been "at pains to bear down" on public costs.

The apartment, previously home to Princess Margaret, had not been updated in 50 years, and latterly had been used as offices. So officials said it needed a complete re-fit.

"Some of the fit-out we felt should be paid for privately," said the aide. The couple had paid for the smaller of two kitchens in the apartment; the larger one was intended to be used for official functions.

The renovations also included about £400,000 for the removal of asbestos.

Carpets, curtains and furnishings, along with the family kitchen, were paid for privately, said the aides.

William Nye, principal private secretary to the Prince of Wales, hinted that Charles had helped with some of the private costs. "Young couples setting up home receive some help from their parents or grandparents," he said. "Some assistance may have been provided."

The accounts, laid before parliament on Thursday show that the cost of sending Prince Charles by charter flight to the funeral of the former South African president Nelson Mandela was £246,160. This was due to short notice, a recommendation in security terms it should be a charter flight, and the "inaccessibility of the venue".

Senior royals still prefer charter flights, according to the accounts. But the younger generation may be more amenable. Prince Harry spent £10,888 on a first-class return ticket from Heathrow to Washington, Denver then New York. By contrast, keen golfer Prince Andrew spent £14,692 on a charter flight from Farnborough to Scotland, to visit the Royal Highland Fusiliers, and also take in the Open Championship at Muirfield.

Asked if flying scheduled was "a generational thing", one aide said: "I will let you draw your own conclusions."

The most expensive overseas tour was that done by Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall when they flew by charter to Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting, and then went on to India for an official tour.

The cost of that trip was £350,413. But after adding in the £82,607 that his staff spent on scheduled flights for reconnaisance and advance visits associated with the trip, the total bill came in at £433,020.

As is usual, the royal train proved the most expensive mode of travel per mile. It was used three times by the Queen last year, and six times by Charles. His bill came to £123,083 for those six journeys.

A decision to lease a second helicopter, in addition to the Queen's Sikorsky, has been made in light of safety concerns following recent fatal accidents, and to allow "flexibility" for increased demand for the growing number of royals carrying out engagements.

Overall, the travel bill for the royal family went down from £4.5m in 2012-13 to £4.2m last year.

Charles received a total income of £21.6m, including £19.5m from the Duchy of Cornwall – around half a million more than the previous year. The £2.1m from the taxpayer was due to increased overseas travel at the request of the government, said aides.

He employed 126.7 staff, including 10.8 house managers and housekeepers, 5.3 chefs and kitchen porters and 21.3 gardeners and estate workers. He also funds the official activities of William, Kate and Harry, which saw his "other expenditure" bill rise by £800,000 last year to £2.9m.

Soaring land values and astute buying and selling have helped the value of the Crown Estate pass £10bn for the first time, a rise of 15% over the past year alone.

The Crown Estate, an independent commercial business created by act of parliament, has acquired some of its latest revenues from letting prime property on Regent Street, London, to companies including J Crew and Watches of Switzerland. It has also let new office space around Regent Street and St James's to firms including Twitter and Virgin Money, while raising more than £450m by selling the Intercontinental hotel on nearby Park Lane and other assets.

Sir Alan Reid, keeper of the privy purse, said the palace strove to provide good value for money. The £35.7m amounted to "an annual cost of the monarchy of 56 pence per person, or just over a penny a week", he said.