Royal news live: King Charles to buy two helicopters amid £1m flight costs as soaring crown income revealed

King Charles is set to replace his 15-year-old helicopters this year as income from the Crown Estates soared to £1.1 billion last year.

Annual accounts have revealed the monarchy will receive a boost of £45 million in its funding during the 2025/2026 financial year due to rising profits in 2023/2024.

The Sovereign Grant sees the royal family receive 12 per cent of the net profits of the Crown Estate and is based on funds gained two years prior.

In the 2024/2025 financial year, the household’s income will remain at £86.3m as it has been in the last three years.

The money is spent on running the royal household and helping the monarchy function effectively. One aspect funded by the grant is the family’s transport costs to formal engagements.

In total more than 170 helicopter journeys costing a total of over £1b were taken in the last year. The palace revealed that these will now be replaced with two brand new AgustaWestland AW139s.

Other areas the crown plans to invest in is the eco-friendly overhaul of the monarchy. Windsor Castle has already had solar panels installed while two of the King’s State Bentleys are being converted to run on biofuel.