The Royal family’s four-day visit to Kenya in October 2023 was the most expensive trip the monarch made overseas, the latest data from the Royal Household’s annual financial statement shows.
Titled the Sovereign Grant Report, it provides an account of how the funding provided to support the official duties of the monarch was spent during the financial year 2023/24.
According to the report, the royal family spent £167,000 which averages to Sh28.5 million in line with the current exchange rate.
In total, the Royal family spent £368,000 (Ksh.62.9 million) for trips undertaken overseas which comprised two State Visits (Kenya and France) and two trips funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
Additionally, the FCDO funded King Charles III’s visit to COP 28 at the United Arab Emirates and Princess Royal’s visits to a state funeral in Namibia.
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to France was the second most expensive trip, costing £123,000 (Sh21 million). This was followed by Princess Royal’s trip to Sri Lanka £48,000 (Ksh.8.2 million) and Prince of Wales’ trip to Kuwait £30,000 (Sh5.1 million).
A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to another country at the invitation of the host’s president.
The King and Queen embarked on a state visit to Kenya from October 31, 2023 to November 3, 2023 to symbolise the bilateral relationship between the two countries,
This also marked King Charles’ first visit to a Commonwealth nation as King and was on the cusp of Kenya celebrating 60 years of independence on December 12, 2023.
During the visit, the Royal family toured Nairobi, Mombasa and surrounding areas. They also toured the National museum which highlighted Kenya’s history, visited the site of the declaration of Kenya’s independence in 1963 and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Uhuru Gardens.
Other places visited comprised the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery, Nairobi National Park and Mtongwe Naval Base in Mombasa to witness Kenya Marines in action.
