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Prince William Trip Tops Royal Travel Bill at £130,106

The royal household's annual accounts show large diplomatic and operational costs that will shape public scrutiny of official spending.

Overview

  • The Royal Household published its accounts for the year to March 2026 reporting 37 journeys with travel costs above a raised £20,000 threshold and total travel spending of £3,316,024.
  • Prince William's three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia in February 2026 was the single most expensive trip at £130,106, the report shows.
  • The King and Queen's state visit to Italy in April 2025 cost £126,946 and other costly engagements included the Prince of Wales's Cop30 trip to Belém, Brazil (£78,542) and the Vatican visit (£75,371).
  • Operational travel added materially to the bill with 177 helicopter flights costing £733,063 and a staff planning trip to the United States and Bermuda in late February/early March 2026 logged at £66,060, with the related royal visit costs to appear in next year’s accounts.
  • The report notes a rise in the disclosure threshold from £17,000 to £20,000 and references earlier plans to withdraw the royal train by 2027 as a cost-saving step that feeds ongoing public interest in royal spending.