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Travel costs for Harry and Meghan’s high-profile South Africa tour totaled £ 246,000, and flights for a two-day visit to Oman taken by the Prince of Wales cost £ 210,345.
The standout real finance figures for 2019-20 come as officials warn that real accounts will be hit by £ 35m as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Prince Charles had flown to Oman to offer his condolences after the death of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, and it was necessary to use private charter flights because the visit was made on very short notice.
Prince Charles was photographed with the new Sultan of Oman during his two-day trip in January.
Both trips were on behalf of the UK government and the Foreign Office.
Other notable trips include Prince Andrew taking a private plane to Northern Ireland to attend the Royal Portrush Golf Club Open Championship at a cost of £ 15,848.
Princess Anne also used a charter flight costing £ 16,440 to fly to Rome and watch Scotland play rugby as her patron.
During the annual royal finance briefing, it emerged that a loss of £ 15m is expected over the next three years as a result of a drop in revenue for the Royal Collection Trust, which has seen a substantial drop in visitors. of properties like Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
Meanwhile, a £ 369 million program to upgrade electrical wiring, plumbing and heating at Buckingham Palace over 10 years is expected to have a £ 20 million shortage.
Princess Anne took a charter flight that cost £ 16,440 so she could fly to Rome and watch Scotland play rugby.
Sir Michael Stevens, Guardian of the Privy Purse, said: “In responding to these two financial challenges, we do not intend to apply for additional funding and will seek to manage the impact through our own efforts and efficiencies.”
In April, a salary freeze was implemented for actual staff and hiring was also suspended, and only critical positions for the company were filled.
The Sovereign Grant accounts show that the monarchy cost the taxpayer £ 69.4 million in 2019-20, an increase of £ 2.4 million over the previous financial year.
Financing the “basic” portion of the Sovereign Grant for official tasks, excluding funds for the long-term works of Buckingham Palace, costs 74 pence per person.
David McClure, author of The Queen’s True Worth, said: “Right now, people feel a little sorry for the palace because they have a big black hole in their pocket due to COVID.
“But one must also remember that in the last nine years, the Sovereign Grant has really gone up and up.
“It’s actually gone up two-thirds in the last nine years, and if you look at inflation, inflation is only up 20%, so they’ve really had an increase in income in the last decade or so.
“Now it’s stabilizing and stagnating, so yeah, they have a problem, but they’ve really had a good time for the last nine years.”
Buckingham Palace will undergo a £ 369 million refurbishment over 10 years. Stock Image
Meanwhile, it was confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex paid an undisclosed sum upfront to rent Frogmore Cottage.
Last month, it was announced that the couple had paid £ 2.4 million for the remodel, but a senior palace source said: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made a substantial contribution to the Sovereign Grant covering obligations to Frogmore Cottage remodel and rental.
“The reporting method for this contribution has yet to be determined and will have to be agreed upon by the National Audit Office before appearing in next year’s accounts.”
