Official figures have shown that public funding for the Royal Household has tripled in real terms since 2012. The Sovereign Grant, which provides state funding for the monarchy, was introduced in 2012 at £31m per year.

Data from the House of Commons Library shows that this has now risen to £132m, which – with inflation being taken into account – is a tripled figure. As reported by the BBC, the grant rose 53 per cent in April from £86.3m to £132.1m.

In figures from 2023-24, the biggest items on the spending list were property maintenance and staff payroll, with there being one simple explanation for the increase in public funding for the Royal Household.

The BBC reports that royal aides have said the increase in public funding is mainly a result of a Buckingham Palace building project.

The project is an attempt to modernise facilities in the Palace to ensure it stays in top condition for years to come.

Works in the project include cabling, plumbing, wiring and lifts in the Palace, which brings a number of tourists to the country each year.

The funding for this comes from The Sovereign Grant, which provides funding for the official duties of the monarchy.

This means that the money goes towards royal travel for official engagements in the UK and overseas and the maintenance of royal residences which are used for formal entertaining and ceremonial events.

The grant also funds the salaries for employees of the Royal Household.

Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment on the rise in public spending.