The Crown Estate pays all of its net income to the state. In the fiscal year 2021/22 these were £312.7 million. A quarter of this goes to the royal family, the so-called “sovereign grant”. And they use it to finance, among other things, their personnel and travel costs as well as the maintenance of the palaces.
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What it doesn’t include: the significant security costs. Thus, the leading members of the royal family receive 24-hour police protection. The palaces and castles also have to be guarded around the clock. The Treasury pays for this. Buckingham Palace and the government are silent about the amount. Monarchy critics believe the true cost is in the region of £345million. This includes, among other things, security costs, lost tax revenue and costs for local authorities.