The UK has had a royal family for more than 1,200 years…

The UK has had a monarchy for around 1,200 years, and the royal family has changed a lot throughout that time – but do the royals have any power?

King Charles is the current monarch of Britain, ascending to the throne after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died in 2022. Prince William is next in line to the throne, and after him, his son Prince George.

We take a look at the power the royal family have, what their purpose is, and where they receive their money from.

King Charles is Head of State for the UK and the Commonwealth (Credit: Cover Images)

What power does the royal family actually have?

The British monarchy is a constitutional monarchy, and while King Charles is the Head of State, he holds no ability to make and/or pass legislation. He is also head of the Commonwealth and head of state in 14 countries outside of Britain. These include Australia, Canada, Jamaica and New Zeland.

Although the monarch has no political or executive role, does the royal family have any powers? Yes, and he plays a vital part of the UK.

Prerogative powers are powers that the monarch has had since the Middle Ages, but in modern times, it’s mostly carried out by the government. However, Charles still has some prerogative powers, either referred to as personal prerogatives or reserve powers. Charles has the power as Head of State to appoint the Prime Minister, open new sessions of parliament, and give royal assent to bills that are passed by parliament – this signifies they have become law.

Charles has the lesser known power to dismiss a Prime Minister who refuses to resign their post after losing the confidence of ministers and the House of Commons.

There are examples of when ministers are held accountable for their use of prerogative powers. In the case of Boris Johnson, the former UK Prime Minister, the Supreme Court ruled his advice to the the late Queen Elizabeth II to ‘end’ parliament for five weeks was unlawful.

King Charles does have some powers as the sovereign (Credit: Cover Images)

Can the royals overrule the government?

King Charles reigns but does not rule, and is obliged to follow the government’s advice and laws.

But the monarch does play an important part within the UK’s government and nation as a whole. He chairs monthly meetings of the Privy Council, weekly audience with the Prime Minister, and goes through and signs state papers every single day. Charles also receives incoming and outgoing ambassadors, while hosting senior judges as well, under the advice of the government.

Generally, no, the monarch or members of the royal family cannot overrule the government. In 1215, Magna Carta was issued, becoming the first document in writing to state the king and his government was not above the law. It was created to prevent a monarch from exploiting power, and establishing law as a power in itself.

In practice, the monarch follows the advice of the government or the cabinet, but can act in emergencies.
The UK has had a royal family for around 1,200 years (Credit: Cover Images)

What is the actual purpose of the royal family?

Members of the royal family support the monarch, which is currently King Charles, as well as national duties. They carry out work in the areas of public and charitable service in their own right, with many members founding or being patrons of important charities and organisations.

Each year, The Firm carries out more than 2,000 official engagements across Britain and internationally. From state visits and visiting Heads of State, to community initiatives and presenting members of the public with honours.

They support and encourage public and charity sectors, with members of the royals being a patron or president of 3,000 organisations. They cover various topics, from hospitals and housing to education and the environment. Some have established their own charities, like The Princess Royal Trust for carers, and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.

The royal family also answer the letters they receive from around the world, which is estimated to be at around 100,000.

For the sovereign, the monarch undertakes constitutional and representational duties, and a less formal role of being the ‘Head of Nation’. King Charles, according to the The Firm’s website, acts as a “focus for national identity, unity and pride; gives a sense of stability and continuity’ officially recognises success and excellence; and supports the ideal of voluntary service”.

Why do we pay the royal family?

The government pays towards the royal family as they represent the nation, and carry out duties on our behalf. The current system of how the royal family are publicly funded is known as the Sovereign Grant. It replaced the Civil List and the three Grants-in-Aid in 2012, with one annual grant instead. The grant currently stands at around £86.3 million a year. It covers costs of royal residents, staff, weddings, and a one-off sum for Buckingham Palace’s restoration.

The Sovereign Grant does not pay for the cost of security or ceremonial events, this is paid directly by the government. Monarchs have a voluntary power to give money back too, with King George V (Queen Elizabeth II’s grandfather) giving back £50,000 he was entitled to when the UK was suffering from the Great Depression.

The Sovereign Grant comes from a percentage of the profits of the Crown Estate revenue, and is reviewed every five years. It is also subject to the same audit as other government funding. Profits of the Crown Estate, a property business owned by the monarch (Charles) but run independently, goes to the Treasury. The amount of profit is then used as a benchmark to calculate the funding for the royals. The properties in the estate belong to the monarch, not King Charles himself. Therefore, when William ascends to the throne, he will own it.

Each year, The Firm publishes a full report on the public finances given to the royal family and where that money was spent.
As monarch, the royal family are partly funded by the government through the Sovereign Grant (Credit: Cover Images)

Private income

The royals are also funded through private sources, such as income from the royal duchies – Lancaster and Cornwall. The Duchy of Lancaster, is said to be worth £650 million and the Duchy of Cornwall £1 billion. Prince William is currently in charge of the Cornwall estate, and uses the profits (£23.5 million) to fund his family’s day-to-day life and other things they need.

The Prince of Wales and his father – Charles – voluntarily pay income tax on this profit, and have done since 1993. King Charles also volunteers to pay income tax and capital gains on his personal income, like his mother.

Members also have personal wealth from private investments.