How do the British royal family finance themselves?

What Dano says is true, but there's more:

Income from the Duchy of Lancaster is the Queen's personal income to use as she see's fit. Nearly all the "old-school" royals have been removed from the Civil List and are paid for from HM's personal income.

Since its creation in 1337, this dukedom has been reserved for the son and heir apparent of the Sovereign... not the Prince/ss of Wales). If the Prince Charles were to die before he succeeded, William would become the Heir Apparent, but not become Duke of Cornwall, nor would he get the income... Also, if the Heir Presumptive is female, the income of the Duchy reverts to the Crown, not the heir.

Also, the origination of the Crown Estates trade-off - in exchange for giving all the income from the Crown Estates to the government, HM and her family get income in the form of the Civil list. For years, the amount of income paid to the Royals is far less than the income from the civil list.

The Crown Estate/Civil List deal comes up for renewal with succession of a new Sovereign.

In theory, the Sovereign could refuse the deal, and take all the income from the Crown Estates to the Crown proper, but then Sovereign would have to also pay all the expenses of the government (not Parliment, just the government) - things like salaries for ministers and judges, building maintenance, law enforcement and prosecutors, prison expenses, etc...

In the end.... the Sovereign gets a pretty good deal... Also, it has been determined that the cost of the civil list amounts to less than 1 pound per citizen every year - and the tourism generated by the Royal Family more than offsets that expense.

Comments

Man! It sounds like if a royal family member dies, they would have to spend all that cash on barristers! I can only do a +2 but you deserve more for your homework!
- Report
by FOR3SKIN500 is remembering one more on August 1st, 2007