Queen receives £5m pay rise to carry out duties

The Queen has received a £5m pay rise from the taxpayer to carry out her official duties.

The Sovereign Grant, which from now replaces the Civil List and other grants, has been set at £36.1m for the 2013-14 financial year. It covers the running costs of the Queen's Household, maintenance of the royal palaces in England and the cost of royal travel for official engagements in the UK and overseas tours, but not security or police protection.

The figure has increased from the £31m allocated during the previous 12 months, which included £1m towards the extra costs of the Diamond Jubilee.

Under the new arrangement, the Queen receives a grant equal to 15 per cent of the profits from the Crown Estate, calculated two years in arrears. The Crown Estate's 2011-12 accounts revealed profits of £240.2m, hence the £36.1m figure rounded up by the Royal Trustees.

Royal accounts released last year showed the cost to the taxpayer of supporting the monarchy rose marginally during 20 11-12.

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