Queen's household expenses climb 25%
The first ever published annual accounts for the Queen's civil list show a £1.6m increase in expenditure, a rise of 25.3% for the year ending 31 December 2001.
The civil list expenditure, essentially the costs of running the Queen’s household, which includes 284 full time staff, rose to £8.15m in 2001, compared with £6.51m in 2000.
The biggest expenses were garden parties (£442,000), food and kitchens (£330,000) and housekeeping (£239,000).
According to Treasury accountant Ian Taylor, who compiled the report, 2001 resulted in 1.3% savings in real terms, while supporting a full programme for the Queen, which included 2,200 official engagements, entertaining 70,000 people and handling 49,000 items of correspondence.
However, the report did say expenditure would increase in the 2002 year as a result of the Golden Jubilee, which resulted in lavish celebrations in Buckingham Palace and a number of other ceremonies across the UK.
Sir Michael Peat, the Queen’s accountant, earned £172,000 for the year.