King Charles and Prince William Face Backlash Over Soaring Royal Costs

King Charles and Prince William have come under fresh public scrutiny after new royal financial accounts revealed a dramatic rise in spending by the British monarchy. The latest figures have sparked debate over royal finances and the cost of maintaining the institution.

According to the newly released 2025/26 royal accounts, the official net expenditure of the royal family reached £117.2 million. The figure marks a significant increase from the £85.2 million recorded during the previous financial year.

The sharp rise represents an increase of approximately 37.5 percent and has immediately triggered criticism from anti-monarchy campaigners and members of the public. Many have questioned whether the growing costs are justified during a difficult economic climate.

One of the biggest contributors to the rise in royal spending was property maintenance and renovation work across royal estates. The cost of maintaining royal properties reportedly jumped to £67.5 million from £41.2 million the previous year.

Reports also revealed that despite £369 million being allocated toward upgrades and essential maintenance at Buckingham Palace, King Charles and Queen Camilla reportedly have no plans to move into the famous residence. It has also been suggested that no senior royals are expected to live there permanently.

The revelation surprised many royal observers because Buckingham Palace has traditionally served as the symbolic headquarters of the monarchy. Critics have argued that such costly renovations raise concerns if the building will not be fully occupied by the royal family.

Official royal travel expenses also increased during the 2025/26 financial year, rising to £5.1 million compared with £4.7 million the year before. Several overseas tours and royal engagements contributed to the higher spending figures.

Prince William’s visit to Saudi Arabia in February reportedly became the most expensive royal trip of the year, costing £130,106. The future King’s tour even exceeded the £126,946 spent on King Charles and Queen Camilla’s four-day state visit to Italy.

The Prince of Wales also ranked third for another costly engagement after attending the Cop30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil. That particular visit reportedly cost £78,542 according to the official royal accounts.

The royal wage bill for palace staff also increased significantly, reaching £33.7 million during the latest financial year. This represented a rise of £3.8 million compared with the previous year’s figures.

In addition to staffing costs, housekeeping expenses also climbed by £300,000 and reached a total of £3.5 million. The continued rise in operational spending has further intensified criticism directed at the monarchy.

Despite the criticism, royal officials pointed out that King Charles and Queen Camilla increased their public duties across the United Kingdom by 17 percent. The monarch and Queen reportedly carried out more than 700 engagements during the year.

The accounts also revealed that King Charles’s private income increased from £24.4 million to £25.2 million during the same period. Meanwhile, Prince William’s annual private income from the Duchy of Cornwall estate reportedly fell by £1.3 million to £21.6 million.

Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic strongly criticised the financial figures after the report was released publicly. Republic’s chief executive Graham Smith claimed royal finances were “out of control” and called on Parliament to reduce the monarchy’s annual budget to below £10 million.