It has just been revealed that Queen Elizabeth and the rest of the British royal family were hit with a 35 million pound ($45 million) hit because of COVID-19. The Queen’s money-manager said on Friday that much of this loss stemmed from a shortage of tourists.

The New York Post reported that the Keeper of the Privy Purse Michael Stevens recently released the  royal household’s annual accounts, explaining that a lack of income from visitors to royal buildings was probably going to lead to a general funding shortfall of 15 million pounds ($19 million) over three years. He added that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is also likely to cause a 20 million-pound ($25.4 million) shortfall in a 10-year, 369-million-pound program to replace antiquated heating, plumbing and wiring at Buckingham Palace, the residence of the Queen in London.

The palace has not had a major upgrade since just after World War II, and officials have warned that its aging infrastructure is at risk of a catastrophic failure if it’s not replaced.

Stevens explained that the royal household will not be asking for more government money, as they would instead “look to manage the impact through our own efforts and efficiencies.” That’s why the palace has already launched a staff pay freeze and a halt to hiring.

The royal household’s accounts show that the royal family cost British taxpayers 69.4 million pounds ($88.2 million) in the year through the end of March, an increase of 2.4 million ($3.1 million) on the previous financial year. They also show that the Queen’s grandson Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, paid an undisclosed sum to reimburse British taxpayers for rent and refurbishment of their Frogmore Cottage home near Windsor Castle. This renovation of their home cost the public purse 2.4 million pounds ($3.1 million.).

Harry and Meghan were able to pay back the money after signing a lucrative deal with Netflix earlier this month that could be worth up to $150 million. Afterwards, sources claimed that Harry and Meghan did not notify the Queen about the deal before announcing it.

“Harry did not inform the Queen about the Netflix deal,” a royal source told The Sun. “Her Majesty is all too aware of the pitfalls of when senior royals embark on lucrative projects—Prince Edwards’ production flop and some of the deals Sarah Ferguson has signed over the years to name a few. Her view is simple, the Royals are not for sale and danger surrounds high profile roles outside of the institution itself. But knowing her grandson Harry as she does, the Queen will know there would have been little chance of talking Harry and Meghan out of it.”

This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.com and is used by permission.

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