Spain's King Felipe VI was paid €269,296 gross in the year 2023, according to the latest figures available. That salary was divided into twelve monthly payments, an increase of €10,369 compared to what he received in 2022.
His estate amounted to approximately €2.57 million in 2022 according to the Royal Household of Spain (La Casa Real), €300,000 derived from antiques and jewellery, and the rest held in current and savings accounts.
Queens Letizia and her predecessor Sofía also saw their salaries, paid for by the public, increase by 4 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, taking their annual incomes to €148,105 and €121,186 respectively. In 2022, these figures were €142,402 and €116,525
These increases come despite budgets for Spain's Casa Real being frozen for the three previous years.
The Casa Real publishes a breakdown of its budget on its official website, which amounts to €8.43 million in total.
Disgraced former King Juan Carlos had his salary withdrawn in 2014 following his abdication, while Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía (Felipe's daughters), do not receive any income from the Spanish state.
Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina, the king's sisters, are not paid a salary derived from public funds either as they are not technically part of Spain's Royal Family.
They do however hold important positions for non-profit organisations for which they are reportedly very well remunerated. Cristina splits her time between running the Aga Khan Foundation in Geneva and as a director for the Caixa Foundation in Spain, whereas Elena has earned an estimated €200,000 a year working for the Mapfre Foundation.
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Budget breakdown
2023's boosted royal salaries, which total €538,587 between them, are taken from the €4.7 million put aside for 'personnel expenses' (€4.5 million in 2022) according to the Casa Real's published budget breakdown. This made up the bulk of the money, representing 56 percent of the total.
The salaries of senior officials added up to €849,000, and expenses on goods and services €2.7 million, 0.83 percent more than in 2022.
Of the €2.7 million, €1.8 million were for office supplies, communications, insurance and contracts with service companies and another €605,000 was for protocol and representative services.
Other expenses included repairs, maintenance and conservation, as well of the leases of computer equipment and data transmission, means of transport and the royal family's internet domains.
The money allocated for travel and accommodation also increased in 2023, from €26,000 to €50,000.
Some €746,000 was put aside for 'investments', a figure that was €965,348 in 2022.
The Royal Household of Spain's contingency fund remained frozen at €168,000, given it is always set at 2 percent of the budget.
The Spanish Constitution establishes that the head of state be given money "for the support of his family and his House every year," and the King himself "freely distributes it."
The Casa Real justified the salary bumps due to the a "significant increase in institutional activity [that] entails an increase in the budget for protocol and representation expenses, in addition to the amounts destined for travel, which is compensated by a reduction, mainly, in advice and ICT work compared to the previous year."
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