Bentleys owned by the King will run on biofuel within the next year as part of a broader sustainability campaign, while plans are in place for official electric vehicles in the future. The Royal Household published annual accounts on Wednesday which detail a series of initiatives aimed at being more environmentally friendly. The funding that taxpayers provide to support the monarchs’ official residence and visits remained steady at £86.3m in the previous two financial years, known as the Sovereign Grant. The newly released accounts are in effect for the first full financial year of the King’s reign and provide an early indication that the King cares about climate issues and is committed to change.
A range of new changes will be introduced for the Royal Family’s use of public residences – for instance, Windsor Castle will get solar panels, and special electric fittings will be used to make the palace’s gas lanterns more energy-efficient without detracting from their historic appearance. Keeper of the Privy Purse, Sir Michael Stevens, stated that these changes have been inspired by the King’s commitment to sustainability and it is vital that it is considered “at the heart of our operations”. Although representatives have revealed that Prince Charles has been pushing for environmentally friendly changes for several decades, this is the first comprehensive action by the Royal Family on this level.
The annual report was delayed for a month due to the election season. It outlines that the existing 15-year-old helicopters owned by the Royal Family will be replaced by two new ones this year. These machines are critical to allow the family to travel to remote areas and carry out their engagements. The family will also increase environmentally sustainable fuel usage where relevant.
Reporting from the National Audit Office this week commended the £369m renovation project at Buckingham Palace. It said that although the total cost had escalated due to the discovery of asbestos, the work on removing dangerous electrical cables, upgrading equipment such as the boilers, and replacing water tanks was completed. The NAO disclosed that the refinement work had made significant improvements, including an 82% completion rate, though it did note that some of the structural damage could have been foreseen. Frogmore Cottage, once the residence of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, stands empty without any tenants for over a year.
The period of accounts covers the time from April 2023 to March 31 2024, coinciding with the crowning of the King and Queen amid a Vogue magazine fueled frenzy. This time was also clouded due to the recent cancer diagnosis of the King and Princess Diana. Different kinds of engagements, especially those in-person, were cut down, whereas official visits in the UK and worldwide were still conducted totaling over 2,300. Prince Charles, despite his illness, fulfilled 464 official purposes throughout this period, and the most costly of these was an official visit to Kenya amounting to £167,000
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