Scotland Yard’s flights budget for protecting globe-trotting royals has nearly DOUBLED to £4.6million since 2016

• From 2015-2016 the flight budget paid for by British taxpayers was £2.5million
• Royal Family’s carbon footprint has increased by 98 per cent over the past year
• The expense also covers officers’ flights for a range of criminal investigations

Scotland Yard has nearly doubled its flight budget to cover the escalating cost of protecting globe-trotting royals on official visits and holidays.

Taxpayers faced a £4.6million bill for officers’ flights in the year to March 31, as against £2.5million between 2015-16.

The revelation comes after a row over the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s use of private jets for holidays in the Mediterranean.

Scotland Yard has nearly doubled its flight budget to cover the escalating cost of protecting globe-trotting royals on official visits and holidays

The Royal Family’s carbon footprint for travel has increased by 98 per cent over the past year due to a series of overseas tours.

Buckingham Palace said all official foreign travel was undertaken at the request of the Government.

Protection officers accompany all royals on flights.

A Met spokesman said cost is kept to a minimum.

Some of the expense covers officers’ flights for a range of criminal investigations.

Yesterday James Roberts, political director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘This is a staggering increase when budgets are supposed to be squeezed.’

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