Monarchies: what is publicly known about their funding
Public money, private wealth: how royal families are financed differs widely from one country to the next.
The Editors · November 7, 2026 · 1 min read
How much does a monarchy cost? There is no single answer, because each country organizes the funding of its royal family in its own way.
In the United Kingdom, the Sovereign Grant funds the monarch's official activities. It is calculated as a percentage of the profits of the Crown Estate, the Crown's property portfolio, whose revenues go largely to the Treasury. The share has been set at 12% of those profits since the 2024-25 financial year (down from 25%), following a review decided in 2023.
Alongside this public funding are private revenues, notably those of the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, which provide income to the sovereign and the heir to the throne.
In Spain, the Royal Household's budget is voted within the state budget, and the king freely decides its internal allocation. In the Netherlands, funding comes through an allowance paid to the royal family and set by law.
These arrangements are public, and several royal houses publish annual financial reports. The debates mostly concern transparency: separating what belongs to the office, to private wealth and to state property remains a recurring issue.
Figures change every year: exact amounts should be checked against each royal house's official sources.