William And Kate Middleton’s Caribbean Tour Flights Cost The UK Public £226,000
Prince William and Kate’s March tour to the Caribbean was meant to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
But it ended up becoming notable for the controversy and criticism it attracted.
Royal accounts have shown that the eight-day visit to Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas cost the UK public £226,383 (approximately $274,ooo) in charter and scheduled flights for the couple and their entourage.
Prince William and Kate’s March tour to the Caribbean was meant to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee but ended up becoming notable for the controversy and criticism it attracted. And today, royal accounts have shown that the eight-day visit to Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas cost the UK public £226,383 (approximately $274,ooo) in charter and scheduled flights for the couple and their entourage.
The figure was revealed as part of the royal household’s annual financial review which sees them outline how the lump sum it receives from the UK Treasury has been spent in the previous financial year. A total of £4.5 million was spent on travel from April 2021 to March 2022 and individual trips costing more than £15,000 each have been itemized by the Palace. The Cambridges’ trip to the Caribbean was the most expensive itemized bill but other large costs included; £138,457 for Prince Charles’ visit to Barbados last November to take part in the ceremony to mark the country becoming a republic; £123,541 to fly Prince Charles and Camilla to Jordan and Egypt earlier the same month for an official visit, and £42,601 for a charter flight for them to go to the G20 Leaders conference in Rome followed by COP26 in Glasgow along with staff trips ahead of time.
The royal train was also responsible for some hefty costs, with the Queen’s visit to Edinburgh via Croy, north Lanarkshire last July costing £46,442. Her trip to Cardiff last October on the train cost £28,934.
While the cost of the Cambridge’s flights to the Caribbean may seem substantial, it does not represent the total bill for the whole trip. Ahead of the visit, Kensington Palace said that it would be paid for by a combination of the host countries, the Sovereign Grant, and Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. In May, the Independent reported that a freedom of information request revealed that £41,000 of Jamaican taxpayers’ money was spent on hosting the couple at events including a state dinner.
The annual Sovereign Grant report primarily outlines how the royal household has spent the lump sum it receives from UK’s public purse for the previous financial year. The money is used for royal travel and the running and maintenance of official royal residences and work. This latest report covers the period from April 2021 to March 2022, during which time the royals received £86.3 million, £34.5 million of which dedicated to the ongoing 10-year refurbishment of Buckingham Palace.
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