King Charles has become the first monarch to publicly share his tax bill, revealing that he has paid more than £30 million in tax since coming to the throne.
But the move has been labelled by critics a “deliberate distraction” from the terrible PR damage done to the Royal Family by his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The King and Queen Camilla will no longer use Buckingham Palace as their “personal residence” and will live permanently at Clarence House, the royal household’s latest annual report also revealed.
It brings 189 years of history to an end, with the monarch living at the Palace ever since Queen Victoria in 1837. Charles and Camilla may still stay there from time to time, and it will remain the operational centre for the Royal Family, The i Paper understands.
The King’s annual income from his Duchy of Lancaster property empire was £25.2m in 2025/26, the latest accounts show – up slightly from £24.4m the previous year. It is money available to the monarch to use as he sees fit.
Charles paid £11.7m in tax in 2023/24 and £12.9m in 2024/25 – his first two full years on the throne, according to the Palace. The rest of his £30m bill relates to the early months of his reign following his accession to the throne in September 2022 after Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
However, royal critics claim the King is only “pretending” to be transparent in a bid to smooth over a series of controversies sparked by Mountbatten-Windsor, who was arrested over allegations he passed sensitive information to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has always denied any wrongdoing.
There was widespread outrage over Mountbatten-Windsor’s rental income from sublet cottages at the Royal Lodge in Windsor while paying only a peppercorn rent himself. Questions were raised after it emerged that the King pays the rent for Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice.
And there was also anger over Charles’ Duchy of Lancaster and Prince William’s Duchy of Cornwall gaining huge rental income from grassroots groups, the NHS and the military. The royal estates stopped charging grassroots groups following the criticism.
The monarchy’s finances remain shrouded in fog, argued critics who want more transparency over “grace and favour” housing arrangements and the private income streams enjoyed by Charles and William.
It is time for the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant – which rose to £137.9m in 2026/27 – to be radically cut and the “bloated” Royal Family to be slimmed down in line with other European monarchies, politicians and commentators told The i Paper.
However, sympathetic royal observers argue that the monarchy still provides excellent value for money – pointing to the “soft power” influence the King exerts around the world to boost UK interests.
The King’s tax move puts pressure on William to follow suit.
Charles released some tax information when he was Prince of Wales but William has not done the same. It has been estimated that the heir may have paid £7m in tax on money taken from Duchy of Cornwall profits last year.
Tax release is ‘deliberate distraction’, say critics
Norman Baker, the former minister and author of Royal Mint: National Debt, is frustrated that it remains unclear how much Charles pays in income tax, capital gains tax, and how much is offset by expenses.
Baker said: “It doesn’t tell you about the King’s investments, it doesn’t tell you exactly where money is coming from. It’s spin from the Palace in pretending to be transparent, partly in reaction to Andrew [controversies].”
“Andrew may have been the catalyst,” added Baker. “But he is just a microcosm of the wider problem. There was terrible PR for Charles and William from the Duchies charging extortionate rents to everyone from the NHS to our armed forces to grassroots groups, which made them look grasping.”
Charles voluntarily pays tax on the private income generated from the Duchy of Lancaster, a portfolio of properties, land and other assets. Separately, he owns the Balmoral and Sandringham estates and has other personal, private investments.
Labour peer George Foulkes – who wants to bring down the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant – said the tax bill release was aimed at producing positive PR for the King.
“The publication of tax returns is a welcome step, but I suspect it’s been done as a deliberate distraction,” said Lord Foulkes.
“If they have these other income streams, there’s no reason they can’t pay for more themselves.”
Sovereign Grant ‘golden ratchet’ protected
The Sovereign Grant, provided by the Government to cover the cost of official royal duties and palaces, rose from £132.1m in 2025/26 to £137.9m in 2026/27, the latest annual accounts confirmed.
It is set to come down to £99.9m in 2027/28. But this will be a special, one-off reduction which follows the extra sums given for Buckingham Palace upgrades in recent years.
The Labour Government intends to keep the so-called “golden ratchet” – the mechanism that prevents the grant from coming down – in place after the one-off reduction.
Baker said the monarchy is “bloated” and called for the Sovereign Grant to be replaced with a new “royal duties grant”, which would allow MPs to scrutinise spending and vote for a smaller sum each year.
Could opening up Palace save taxpayers’ money?
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said the “mess” surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor in recent years, and his controversial living arrangements at the Royal Lodge “is partly the reason this tax transparency has happened”.
He added: “The optics of arrangements for Beatrice and Eugenie having their rent paid [privately by the King], are unhelpful in appearing elitist. So I can’t see that continuing too much longer.”
However, Fitzwilliams argued that the Sovereign Grant represents “excellent value” for taxpayers. “It’s hard to quantify – but the money raised for charity work and the diplomatic importance of the soft power [of the monarchy] are compelling arguments.”
Buckingham Palace will remain the primary workplace of the monarchy, but royal officials said there will be increased opportunities for public access now that Charles and Camilla live elsewhere.
“If it can generate income and increasingly pay for itself, it is a saving to the taxpayer,” said Andrew Moran, a professor of politics at London Metropolitan University.
James Chalmers, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, said the Royal Family wanted to “deliver value for money” when it comes to the Sovereign Grant.
The monarchy “continues to adapt to meet the demands of our evolving world, one in which the soft power of the Royal Family plays an increasingly vital diplomatic role”, he added.
Hence then, the article about the real reason charles is finally being transparent about his money now was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( The real reason Charles is finally being transparent about his money now )
Also on site :
- Brutal killing of French teen by ‘migrant gang’ sparks national outrage (GRAPHIC FOOTAGE)
- Why This Midwestern Icon Is the Ultimate Cultural Weekend Escape Right Now
- 1969 Summer Anthem, Named One of the Greatest Songs of All Time, Blew up After Woodstock