William and Kate's billion dollar anniversary bonanza for Britain

It is one year since the most spectacular royal nuptials ever seen before took place, which had even been beamed world-wide live to billions via television. It is understood to have cost the British exchequer anywhere between $1 to $50 billion. Point is has the Prince William and Kate Middleton wedding proved profitable for United Kingdom?

Will & Kate announcing their engagement in 2011

After all ordinary tax-payers in Britain, will surely want to know what exactly is happening to their hard earned money. Well, the Brits need not worry and can rest assured, because their money has burgeoned multiple times due to their investment in the monarchy, particularly in the William and Kate wedding.

Let us check out the statistics. The Royal Charitable Trust earned revenues of $67 million between March 2010 to April 2011, due to record year of income from visitors and souvenir sales. Sales in the royal gift shops increased roughly 18% to $19 million. This is partly due to official wedding souvenirs, including a bone china range which brought in $1.6 million for the charitable trust of the Royal family.

Visitors seen at UK's Buckingham Palace

Image: Flickr.com

Royal Collection (RC) is a centre that charges tourists for visiting royal residences including Windsor Castle and Clarence House. Jonathan Marsden, RC Director in the annual report for the Royal Collection Trust states that the increase in retail sales, especially online sales, was largely due to an increase in memorabilia meant to “commemorate the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton.”

Other then revenue from royal souvenirs, the Royal Collection gained from an 8% increase in tourist traffic to the royal residences. As per statistics available more than two million people visited Buckingham Palace, the Royal Mews and the Queen’s Galleries combined. One can well imagine, the revenue earned from these visits.

The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace –

Gold State Coach Image: Flickr.com

Since the royal wedding in April, 2011; 680,000 people visited Windsor Castle. With the admission fees of roughly $37 for adults, the income from the visitors was a whopping $25 million. This income was shared between the Royal Trust and the Prince William and Kate Middleton’s charitable wedding fund.

So how is all that moolah for a wedding anniversary bonanza?

Source: Forbes.com

Royal Residences of Britain

- Buckingham Palace