Royal family to buy two new helicopters amid £45m income boost

The royal family is investing in two new helicopters, as new accounts revealed that the monarchy is to receive a boost of more than £45 million in its official annual income to more than £130 million.

The AgustaWestland AW139s are considered a "key component" in enabling the King and royal family to carry out their engagements, allowing access to remote areas of the UK, and they will replace the current 15-year-old Sikorsky helicopters.

While the eco-conscious King was described as "pretty allergic" to travelling by helicopter by a source at a 2022 Sovereign Grant briefing, the new models will be able to run with the maximum industry standard of 50 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (Saf).

"Helicopters are a very important tool in our travel resources," a palace official said. "They provide great flexibility. They enable His Majesty and members of the royal family to be to be seen throughout the length and breadth of the UK."

Asked whether helicopter use should be reduced, the official added: "If you're going to make an investment of that magnitude, then you need to sweat the asset.

"So, therefore, you need to maximise the utilisation of the aircraft otherwise you end up in a situation whereby a small number of visits, compared to the cost of running those assets, it does not does not make good financial sense."

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Almost £1.1 million was spent on 170 helicopter journeys made by members of the royal family in 2023 to 24 made up of trips costing less than £17,000 each.

And that isn't the only carbon cost-cutting plans revealed in the latest royal accounts. The King's State Bentleys are being converted to run on bio-fuel within the next year, with a view to switching to a fleet of official electric cars in the future.

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Solar panels have also been installed on the roof of Windsor Castle for the first time as part of a drive to reach Net Zero in future, while gas lanterns at Buckingham Palace are being repurposed with specially designed electrical fittings to preserve their historic look and glow.

Meanwhile, soaring profits from the Crown Estate to £1.1 billion mean the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant, which supports the official duties of the royal family, will increase from £86.3 million in 2024/2025 to £132 million in 2025/2026.

However, officials said the increase will be used to help fund the final stages of the ten-year £369 million renovation of Buckingham Palace, keeping it on time and budget.

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