© Maison du Grand-Duc
Allowances, pays, funds... We're shining a light on how much the Luxembourgish royal family receives from taxpayers, and how much it is compared to the British royal house.
Family name/House: Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg
Monarch: Grand Duke Henri
Approximate public funding: €19.2m (£16.9m)
© Cour grand-ducale
The Luxembourgish royal house also receives taxpayer money, referred to as state allowance. The latest budget for 2023 shows payments to the Maison du Grand-Duc (House of the Grand Duke) totaled €19,257,155 (£16,9m).
In addition to the civil list payments for staffing costs, the grand duke and his heir receive endowments for personal expenditure: in 2022, Henri received €523,103 (£460,381) and Crown Prince Guillaume received €217,985 (£191,848).
After anger at the blurring of public and private budgets, prime minister Xavier Bettel has said a centralisation of royal funding wouldl provide more transparency. The government has tabled a bill to fix the compensation of several high-ranking positions within the Grand Ducal family, including the Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duke. The law still has to go through the standard legislative process. If passed, it will come into force on 1 July 2023.
And what's the situation with the British royals?
Family name/House: The Windsors
Monarch: King Charles III
Approximate public funding: £86.3m - £126.90m (€98m - €145m)
© Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images
The British royal family's wealth has been a critical topic for a while now. What the taxpayer contributes to the Sovereign Grant is public: in total £86.3m. This fund is intended to cover Royal Travel, Communications and Information, and the Maintenance of the Royal Palaces. However, there is no breakdown of how much individual members of the royal family receive for their official duties. The new king and Prince William earn over £40m annually from two estates that don't pay taxes - the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall. While Buckingham Palace considers this "private income," many have debated whether this revenue should actually go to the public.
It's worth noting that the monarch agreed to pay "voluntary" income tax starting in 1993. However, the royals are still exempt from inheritance tax, which means the late queen was able to pass on her fortune to the current king without any deductions for the public good.
If you want to know more about the pays of other European royal houses, click here.
