<P> The British royal family is financed mainly by the hereditary revenues of the Crown . The British Parliament uses a percentage of the Crown Estate, a part of the Crown's hereditary revenues belonging to the sovereign that is placed at the disposal of the House of Commons, to meet the costs of the sovereign's official expenditures . This includes the costs of the upkeep of the various royal residences, staffing, travel and state visits, public engagements, and official entertainment . Other sources of income include revenues from the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, a parliamentary annuity, and income from private investments . The Keeper of the Privy Purse is Head of the Privy Purse and Treasurer's Office and has overall responsibility for the management of the sovereign's financial affairs . </P> <P> Until 1760 the monarch met all official expenses from hereditary revenues, which included the profits of the Crown Estate (the royal property portfolio). King George III agreed to surrender the hereditary revenues of the Crown in return for the Civil List, and this arrangement persisted from 1760 until 2012 . The Civil List was paid from public funds and was intended to support the exercise of the monarch's duties as head of state of the United Kingdom . In modern times, the Government's profits from the Crown Estate always significantly exceeded the Civil List . Under the Civil List arrangements the royal family faced criticism for the lack of transparency surrounding Royal finances . The National Audit Office was not entitled to audit the Royal Household . </P>

How do the royal family make their money