Cost of monarchy rose to £33.3m in last financial year

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the Solomon Islands. Credit: Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA Wire

The cost to the taxpayer of supporting the monarchy rose by £900,000 to £33.3 million during the last financial year, Buckingham Palace accounts have shown.

The increase of almost £1million came in a year which included the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

There were some reductions in expenditure too, with the taxpayer funds used to pay for official air and rail travel at home and abroad for members of the Royal Family falling by £500,000 from £5 million in 2011/12 to £4.5 million during the same year.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's tour of south east Asia and the south Pacific was the most expensive foreign tour of last year, costing almost £370,000.

Royal Correspondent Tim Ewart reports:

Facts and figures from the royal public finances annual report published today:

  • Almost 3,000 official engagements were carried out, both at home and abroad, by the Royal Family during 2012/13

  • More than 5,000 tonnes of waste were generated across the Royal Estate, up 9% on the previous financial year

  • During 2012/13 the average number of staff paid by taxpayer funds was up 5 to 436

  • Royal Household staff can carry over nine days of leave from one year to the next

  • The Queen and the Royal Family cost the taxpayer 53p per person per year

  • The Royal Household's IT department supports 1,754 IT users

  • Perks Field, next to Kensington Palace, generated £400,000 in income

  • The Royal Estate consumed 8 million kilowatts of electricity