The Royal Family’s travel expenses exceeded £3 million last year, with £160,733 allocated to only four Royal Train journeys. The Prince of Wales led the list for the most expensive royal trips, notably his official visit to Saudi Arabia costing £130,106. This surpassed the King and Queen’s state visit to Italy in April 2025, which totaled £126,946. Additionally, Prince William’s tour of Brazil for the Earthshot Awards and COP summit incurred expenses of £79,000.
Published as part of the royal family’s annual financial report, detailing expenditures on official engagements, the figures cover the period up to March 2026. The report includes a breakdown of all trips costing at least £20,000, totaling 37 journeys for that year. Notably, 13 of these journeys involved the King, with 11 within the UK.
A significant portion of the King’s travels involved chartered flights within the UK, with notable overseas trips such as the state visit to Italy and the Vatican City. The Vatican City visit incurred costs of £75,371, ranking as the fourth most expensive trip for that year. The report also highlighted the impending increase in core funding for the monarchy to £100 million annually, with plans for various palace maintenance projects and security enhancements.
The Royal Trustees, including outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and the King’s Keeper of the Privy Purse, James Chalmers, approved the hike in funding. This boost in financial support aims to address palace maintenance backlogs and enhance security measures across royal residences. Furthermore, part of the funding will be allocated to upgrading heating systems at Windsor Castle.
