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Spectator
7 hours ago
- Spectator
My memories of the royal train
It is the most civilised way to travel anywhere in the kingdom. Which is why I am so distraught that the King has cancelled it. This week His Majesty has agreed, reluctantly I can be sure, to decommission his royal train. The decision was announced by the Keeper of the Privy Purse, James Chalmers. Mr Chalmers brings to the Royal Household all the romance and lyricism you'd expect of a chartered accountant who spent 39 years at PwC, including time as something called a Global Assurance Leader. He justified the decision on the basis of the need for 'modernisation' and 'fiscal discipline'. This is not so much letting daylight in upon magic as strangling it with a spreadsheet. It is a tragedy. The most myopically mean-minded cost-cutting measure forced on a monarch since Regan and Goneril took away Lear's knights. I am biased, I admit. Partly because I know which side I would have been on at Marston Moor, standing with the first King Charles against the loathsomely drab utilitarians who would have denied that monarch the money needed for his ships. But also because I have travelled on the royal train and mourn its passing with the sadness of one who sees another cherishably special link with our past dismantled by the un-holy alliance of the lanyard class and Treasury brainiacs. The royal train itself is very far from the last word in luxury. Defiantly unmodernised, its decor owes more to Seventies Ventnor than Silicon Valley. It is like the royal family – understated, comfortable, traditional, gently hierarchical and thoroughly reliable. I travelled on the royal train in March 2018, as environment secretary, accompanying the Prince of Wales (as he then was) on a visit to mark Unesco designating the Lake District a world heritage site. We boarded the train at dusk at a wayside halt in Bucks before it made its way to Kemble in Gloucestershire to pick up HRH. Dinner in the mess with the Prince's private secretary and protection team was basic but delicious – steak and chips cooked in a galley unchanged since Harold Wilson's day. My berth for the night was fitted out like an Aberdeenshire B&B from my childhood. A narrow single bed with reassuringly itchy sheets and blankets, framed prints of non-descript highland landscapes, a Roberts radio and blinky electric strip lighting. The one undeniable luxury was the ensuite bathroom – no other train in Britain allows you to soak in Radox suds. But even that indulgence was reassuringly retro. The bath itself was the sort of pastel pink plastic that takes you back decades – to a time when the only essential oil was diesel. There was a protocol to arrangements on the train. The late Queen, Prince Philip and the Prince of Wales each had their own dedicated carriage. Other travellers would be allocated their size of berth depending on their place in the Palace pecking order. Members of the royal family would entertain guests in a compact drawing room occupying a section of a carriage fixed between their accommodation and the rest of the travelling entourage. I was invited there to join HRH for a nightcap (Laphroaig) before we retired and breakfast (a minimalist fruit salad that even a dieting catwalk model would consider frugal) the next morning. Concerned that such a meal would not set me up for the day ahead, the police officers travelling with us insisted I have a 'big boys' breakfast' with them in the mess beforehand. I think the sausages may have been Wall's rather than Highgrove organic, but they were appropriately fortifying. The royal train runs to its own timetable, and is never more than a few seconds early or late, a novel experience for an MP who had to rely on South Western Railway to travel to and from his constituency. I've no idea if the crew were Aslef or RMT, but now that these professionals with their curious habit of punctuality are being made redundant perhaps they could replace the current management of Network Rail. As we rolled into Langwathby station, on the breathtakingly picturesque Settle to Carlisle line, the impression created by the royal train's arrival was vivid on the delighted faces of the gathered schoolchildren and curious residents. It was as though the Hogwarts Express had materialised through the drizzle: stately, traditional and wreathed in mystique. Dull would he be of soul who wasn't taken by the appearance of living history on platforms where only inter-city 'sprinters' normally draw in. But now the royal train – environmentally friendly, a clockwork-perfect piece of British engineering heritage from our manufacturing past, affordable even when the state took less than 10 per cent of GDP and Gladstone was taking his axe to government excess – is to be scrapped. It will save less than Ed Miliband's department spends annually on air fares. As Philip Larkin put it, when another round of cost-cutting left a lesser Britain:
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Have your say on whether the royal family is costing the taxpayer too much
After the annual royals' accounts revealed expenditure of £2.7million last year on travel by private jet, helicopters and rail, we want to know whether you think the family cost the taxpayer too much The annual royal accounts have revealed that the family have spent a total of £2.7million last year on travel by private jet, helicopters and rail. One trip by the King and Queen to Australia and Samoa last October cost a staggering £400,000. Following the accounts being published, it was announced that King Charles would be axing the late Queen's beloved Royal Train after decades of service in an attempt to save cash. New figures found that the nine-carriage locomotive was only in action twice in the last year but cost £78,000. As the Royal Train is scrapped, accounts show Charles and the many of the royal family will rely on two new helicopters to get around. Palace aides stressed trains and other transport will be used, however, Charles arrived in Scotland this Wednesday by helicopter. If you can't see the poll, click here. James Chalmers, Keeper of the Privy Purse, said axing the Royal Train was an example of the royal family applying "fiscal discipline" in its drive to deliver "value for money". Mr Chalmers said: "The royal train, of course, has been part of national life for many decades, loved and cared for by all those involved. But in moving forward we must not be bound by the past. "Just as so many parts of the royal household's work have been modernised and adapted to reflect the world of today, so too, the time has come to bid the fondest of farewells, as we seek to be disciplined and forward in our allocation of funding. With His Majesty's support it has therefore been decided that the process to decommission the royal train will commence next year." The Sovereign Grant, which pays for the royal family's official duties and the upkeep of royal palaces, is met from public funds in exchange for the King's surrender of the revenue from the Crown Estate. The royals then in return get 12 per cent of this revenue back to run their affairs including travel, engagements at home and abroad and welcoming tens of thousands of people to the royal palaces. For the accounts last year, the royals cost the taxpayer £86.3 million for a fourth consecutive year. But record offshore wind farm profits have seen the Crown Estate net profits for the last financial year and hit £1.1 billion - meaning a record breaking Sovereign Grant of £132million will be handed out next year and the year after. Aides say the extra cash will go towards paying for the £369million refit of Buckingham Palace and the upkeep of other royal residences. Writing for the Mirror, Norman Baker slammed the royals, saying: "Buckingham Palace pretends the royals are prudent with our money – it's utter hogwash. Another year, another multimillion-pound splurge on one of the richest families in the country. Get Royal Family updates straight to your WhatsApp! As the royals get back to their normal duties after a difficult year, the Mirror has launched its very own Royal WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest news on the UK's most famous family. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. "Buckingham Palace pretends the royals are being prudent with public money. What utter hogwash. They even have the cheek to suggest that Charles is being generous because he only takes 12% of the income of the Crown Estate. "Reality check: the Crown Estate has in effect been a public body since 1760, and until 2011, 100% of its profits went to the Treasury to pay for schools, hospitals, defence and, yes, disability benefits. This 12% is a new royal tax on the public purse."
eNCA
2 days ago
- Business
- eNCA
End of the line for Britain's royal train
LONDON - King Charles III is to end the British monarchy's use of a royal train for the first time since the Victorian era in the 19th century, as part of cost-cutting and modernisation plans. As part of the royal family's annual finances revealed late on Monday, the king's treasurer announced he had approved the use of two helicopters to ferry the royal household and decommission the train due to high costs. The process to bring the nine-carriage train to a halt will begin next year, according to the monarch's financial report. James Chalmers, who as the Keeper of the Privy Purse is the king's treasurer, described the move as an example of the royal household applying "fiscal discipline". The Sovereign Grant, which pays for royal duties and upkeep of palaces, remained at £86.3-million in the financial year ending in March 2025. Next year the grant will rise to £132-million. The king bid the "fondest of farewells" to the train, which includes a carriage created especially for him in the 1980s. "The royal train, of course, has been part of national life for many decades, loved and cared for by all those involved," said Chalmers. "Just as so many parts of the royal household's work have been modernised and adapted to reflect the world of today, so too, the time has come to bid the fondest of farewells, as we seek to be disciplined and forward-looking in our allocation of funding," he added. The report comes at the end of a fiscal year in which Charles returned to royal duties after being diagnosed with cancer, for which he is still receiving treatment. The king "demonstrated remarkable resilience by undertaking a wide programme of public and state duties at home and overseas while continuing to receive treatment," said Chalmers, commending his "resilience".
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
King Charles cancer update as key aide gives insight into monarch's 'resilience'
During a rundown of royal finances, one of the King's key aides revealed how the monarch is tackling his royal duties as he continues his cancer treatment The King has shown"remarkable resilience" as he carried on with royal engagement despite still receiving cancer treatment, according to one of his key aides. James Chalmers, the monarch's new Keeper of the Privy Purse who is in charge of royal finances, said at the annual Sovereign Grant briefing that Charles's approach illustrated his "personal commitment to duty". The rundown of royal finances - from April 1 2024 to March 31 2025 - covers the months following the King and the Princess of Wales's double cancer diagnosis and the majority of 2024 - the year described by the Prince of Wales as "brutal" and probably the hardest of his life. Charles made a rapid return to public-facing duties in April, while Kate made a more gradual one after revealing in September she had finished her chemotherapy treatment, and later confirmed at the start of 2025 that she was cancer-free. Mr Chalmers said: "This year has, of course, seen something of a 'return to normal business' after the health challenges faced by members of the family in the previous fiscal year. "Indeed, by happenstance, the period to which this Sovereign Grant Report relates correlates almost exactly with His Majesty's return to public-facing duties, in April of 2024. "In the subsequent months, the King demonstrated remarkable resilience by undertaking a wide programme of public and state duties at home and overseas while continuing to receive treatment, demonstrating not only His Majesty's personal commitment to duty but also the adaptability and resilience of the Royal Household in ensuring continuity of service, no matter the personal circumstances." Mr Chalmers said the King and the princess's return to public duties had been met with widespread public support "reflecting the profound connection the royal family maintains with people across the country and indeed the world". "No metric can fully capture the scale of this connection," he added, noting that the royal websites had seen a record 4.2 million new visitors, and the royal family's accounts had almost 400 million views of video content across its digital communications platforms and 1.3 billion impressions generated from its social media content. It comes as it was also revealed that the King is to axe the late Queen Elizabeth's beloved Royal Train after decades of service in an attempt to save cash towards the multimillion refit of Buckingham Palace. The locomotive steam train, comprising nine claret liveried sleeper, dining and lounge carriages, was the Queen's favourite mode of transport throughout her reign. The current train came into service for the late monarch's Silver Jubilee in 1977, pulled by one of two locomotives which use eco-conscious biofuel made from vegetable oil waste. Spiralling costs of the ageing fleet - including two trips last year which cost a combined £78,000 - has led King Charles to bid the "fondest of farewells" after approving its decommissioning for next year. The royals spent a total of £2.7million last year on travel by private jet, helicopters and rail, according to the annual royal accounts. One trip by the King and Queen to Australia and Samoa last October cost a staggering £400,000. As the royal train reaches the end of the line, ahead of the exorbitant maintenance contract ending in early 2027, accounts show Charles and other members of the royal family will rely on two new helicopters to get around - although palace aides stressed trains and other transport will be used. The Sovereign Grant, which pays for the royal family's official duties and the upkeep of royal palaces, is met from public funds in exchange for the King's surrender of the revenue from the Crown Estate, in exchange for 12 per cent back to run their affairs including travel, engagements at home and abroad and welcoming tens of thousands of people to the royal palaces. For the accounts last year, the royals cost the taxpayer £86.3 million for a fourth consecutive year. But record offshore wind farm profits have seen the Crown Estate net profits for the last financial year have again hit £1.1 billion - meaning a record-breaking Sovereign Grant of £132million will be handed out next year and the year after. Palace aides say the extra cash will go towards paying for the £369million refit of Buckingham Palace and the upkeep of other royal residences.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Inside the Royal Train with Charles' very own bath tub and 12-seat dining room
King Charles is set to derail the late Queen Elizabeth II's favourite mode of transport in a bid to cut costs, as staggering figures on the monarch's transportation have been revealed After nearly 125 years of serving the monarchy, the Royal Train - once Queen Elizabeth II's preferred mode of travel - is set to be axed in an attempt to save cash. New figures found that the nine-carriage locomotive, steeped in history and tradition, was only in action twice in the last year but those two journeys cost a combined £78,000. The royals spent a total of £2.7million last year on travel by private jet, helicopters and rail, according to the annual royal accounts published on Monday. As King Charles III attempts to "modernise" the Royal Family, the decision has been made to bid farewell to the famous train in a funds shake-up. The man in charge of finances at the Royal Household, James Chalmers, known as the Keeper of the Privy Purse said: "The Royal Train has, of course, been part of national life for many decades... but in moving forwards we must not be bound by the past." READ MORE: King Charles travels by helicopter for ancient ceremony after axing Royal Train The Royal Family will continue using the train until the expiry of its maintenance programme in March 2027. Mr Chalmers added: "The time has come to bid the fondest of farewells as we seek to be disciplined and forward-looking in our allocation of funding." Historically reserved for senior royals and special occasions, the Royal Train has become a symbol of regal legacy and discreet functionality. First used in 1840 by Queen Consort Adelaide, it later carried Queen Victoria - who was the first monarch to travel by train - on the now-historic route from London to Windsor. It has since played host to generations of royals, from transporting Queen Victoria's coffin in 1901 to carrying the newlywed Charles and Diana as they set off on their honeymoon in the 1980s. But while the train continues to hold symbolic value and prestige, the economics behind its use are becoming increasingly difficult to justify. According to royal correspondent Richard Palmer, a single journey is estimated to cost between £25,000 and £30,000. And in an era of tightening public scrutiny over royal expenditure, those figures are hard to ignore. The train carriages would also need some costly upgrades so they could continue to travel on the modern-day rail network. In fact, the carriages are a lot older than many of the trains which rail passengers currently use. The newest ones date all the way back to 1986. The Royal Train itself is both luxurious and utilitarian. Painted in Royal Claret with the family's crest on each carriage, the train includes bedrooms, bathrooms, a 12-seat dining room, an office space, and even room for household staff. Yet the interiors, while functional, are surprisingly modest. Former aides have likened some fixtures to ones you'd find at a local DIY store, and King Charles's private saloon - equipped with a sitting room, desk, and a full-sized bathtub - is known more for comfort than grandeur. The train's usage has long been controlled by the monarch, with invitations extended sparingly. In 2018, Meghan Markle made headlines when she became the youngest royal to accompany Queen Elizabeth II aboard the train during a visit to Cheshire. Its legacy has been showcased in documentaries like Secrets of the Royal Train. But with Charles's reign increasingly defined by streamlining and practicality, the Royal Train is set to be parked for good. Two new helicopters have recently been delivered for the Royal Family and the King has concluded the train is no longer efficient. And unlike public trains, the Royal Train uses more energy per passenger, making it an unsustainable way to travel. It was said to be a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth, who preferred to travel and sleep on it ahead of an engagement - rather than travel than stay in a hotel or have to get up very early and travel by helicopter. Some of the former royal trains are now kept at the National Railway Museum in York, but it's unclear where this one will end up. According to the BBC, the historic train will be taken around the UK before it ends its service, and it could then end up on public display.
