Queen gets a pay rise after receiving another £5million of taxpayers' money for official duties

The Sovereign Grant has been set £36.1million for 2013/14 financial year



Up from £31million in 2012 that included £1million for Diamond Jubilee



New system replaces the old Civil List and grants-in-aid

The Queen will receive £5million more from the taxpayer under the changes to funding

The Queen has received a £5million rise in funds she receives from the taxpayer to carry out her official duties.

The Sovereign Grant, which covers the running costs of the Queen's Household, replaces the Civil List and is up 16 per cent on 2012.



It has been set at £36.1million for the 2013/14 financial year.

The figure has increased from the £31million allocated during the previous 12 months which included £1million to cover the extra costs of the Diamond Jubilee.

The Sovereign Grant replaces the old funding system of the Civil List and grants-in-aid and came into full effect at the start of the new financial year which began yesterday.

It also covers the maintenance of the royal palaces in England and the cost of royal travel for official engagements in the UK and overseas tours.

Under the new grant the Queen receives 15% of the profits from the Crown Estate, but from funds two years in arrears.

The Crown Estate's 2011/12 accounts revealed profits of £240.2million and the final figure for the grant was rounded up to £36.1million - very close to the estimated amount - by the Royal Trustees in December.

The Sovereign Grant has been set at £36.1million - up from £31million in 2012, which included £1million for the Diamond Jubilee The money is used partly for maintenance on the royal palaces including Buckingham Palace, pictured

Royal accounts released last year showed the cost to the taxpayer of supporting the monarchy rose marginally during 2011/12.

The Queen's official expenditure increased from £32.1million in 2010/11 to £32.3million in 2011/12.

Around £10million is spent on the salaries of the Queen's staff, from footmen to chefs in the royal kitchen - but wages have been frozen for a number of years.

The figure for official expenditure does not include the cost of providing security and police protection for members of the monarchy.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman stressed that the £36.1million sovereign grant awarded for this financial year was 15 per cent less in real terms than the royal household's expenditure five years ago.



He said during this period the household reduced its expenditure in line with reductions in funding.

Because of this, key building and conservation works were postponed, resulting in a maintenance backlog.

The increased funding could be used to give royal staff, pictured at Buckingham Palace, their first pay rise in years

The spokesman said the majority of the grant would therefore be spent on addressing the backlog of property works which need to be undertaken across the occupied royal palaces.

He added: 'Such works will see the funds spent in the real economy creating work and opportunities.'

The money pays for the maintenance of Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, Clarence House, Marlborough House Mews.

