The Crown Estate is charging the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) more than £60,000 annually to launch its lifeboats, The Mail on Sunday has revealed. This occurs despite King Charles's role as the patron of the RNLI.
The Crown Estate, which manages the monarchy's property portfolio valued at £16 billion and owns a significant portion of the UK's foreshore and seabed, continues to levy charges on 43 RNLI stations and other facilities across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. These payments total £63,000 per year.
Documents indicate that the RNLI pays £31,000 annually for its busiest station in central London, located by Waterloo Bridge. A lease agreement signed in 2021 for a floating dock off the Victoria Embankment includes rental payments that increase with inflation.
In a separate instance from 2013, the RNLI was compelled to pay £110,000 to acquire a small parcel of Crown Estate seabed for the construction of a new station at Mumbles Pier in Wales. This station has since been closed for over three years due to safety concerns regarding the pier.
The RNLI stated that the majority of its other leases with the Crown Estate involve payments of less than £400 per year. However, the larger fee for the London station is described as being in line with market value and has been discounted due to the RNLI's charitable status.
Last year, the Duchy of Cornwall, owned by Prince William, waived rents on six RNLI stations, as well as on school playing fields and village halls, following public criticism. This waiver resulted in the cancellation of over £10,000 in rental charges.
Crown Estate Scotland, which operates independently and whose profits do not fund the Royal Family, charges the RNLI rent at an additional 22 locations, with average annual payments of approximately £240. These charges are legally required to be at market value.
A spokesperson for the Crown Estate explained that, unlike the Duchy of Cornwall, the Crown Estate manages land and seabed on behalf of the nation and must generate a return for the public purse, preventing it from offering its property at no cost to taxpayers. The spokesperson added that most RNLI leases are subject to nominal rents covering administrative and legal expenses.
Norman Baker, a former government minister and an expert on royal finances, expressed that the public would likely be concerned to learn that the RNLI is being charged significant sums for its life-saving work. He suggested that these charges should cease immediately and that the King, as patron, should ensure the RNLI pays nothing for its charitable activities, potentially through subsidies.
The RNLI commented that these lease arrangements provide the necessary long-term security and access for its lifesaving operations.