“This is an abuse of public money.” Campaigners unveiled a banner at Buckingham Palace on Thursday urging the government to cut funding for the royal family. The stunt by pressure group Republic came after MPs voted to approve £99.9m in funding for the royals under the Sovereign Grant Bill. "The cost of living continues to rise, public spending is under pressure and yet again the royals are immune to these concerns,” said Graham Smith, a spokesperson for the group. “This is an abuse of public money signed off by MPs too scared of blowback to offer up any scrutiny.” The sovereign grant is used for the upkeep of palaces and to fund royals’ official duties. But Republic argues the true cost of the royal family to the taxpayer is around £500m a year. That figure accounts for “lost income from the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, as well as an estimated £150m security bill”, it said in 2024.

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