Get our daily royal round-up direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

The Queen has leased an £8 million helicopter for members of the royal family, including William and Kate, to use on official engagements.

The luxury Agusta A109S Grand chopper comes complete with leather seat covering and customised interior and will be used by royals on official visits.

The move comes after Prince Charles and Camilla were the subject of a safety scare last year when their chartered chopper was forced to make an emergency landing on its way to the Hay-on-Why Festival in Wales.

The new helicopter, made by Anglo-Italian company AgustaWestland - a first for the Queen whose other helicopters have all been American Sikorskys - will be based alongside the Queen’s other private chopper at RAF Odiham in Hampshire.

(Image: Whirlybirdphotos)

It will ferry the royals from engagement to engagement in a deal royal household officials said today will prevent them from having to use different helicopters on short term leases.

Prince William and Kate will be among the royals who will be able to use the chopper.

It will be an efficient way for William - who is himself a qualified helicopter pilot with the RAF - and Kate to get to and from official engagements quickly.

When Kate visited Bletchley Park last Wednesday she travelled in the Queen’s current chopper G-XXEB to and from Kensington Palace.

(Image: PA)

The new helicopter is expected to be used by members of the royal family shortly and is being paid for by the Sovereign Grant - public funds given to the Monarch by the Government every year.

For the financial year 2014/15 the grant is £37.9 million and in 2013/14 it was set at £36.1 million.

Sir Alan Reid is set to open the royal households’ financial books on Wednesday to reveal details of all spending for 2013/14,

However, the chopper’s usage is not expected to show up in accounts until the following year.

Agusta Westland A109S helicopter

Max Cruising speed: 289 kph (181mph)

Max range: 859 km (537miles)

Max endurance: 4 hrs 32mins

Weight: 3.2 tonnes

Capacity: 2 pilots, 7 passengers

Length: 13 metres (42ft 6ins)