Crown Estate facts for kids
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| Statutory corporation under the Crown Estate Act 1961 | |
| Industry | Property management |
| Founded | 1760 |
| Founder | Parliament and George III, by the establishment of the Civil List |
| Headquarters | St James's Market London, SW1 |
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Area served
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United Kingdom |
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Key people
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| Products |
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| Revenue |
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75% to HM Treasury 25% to The Monarch |
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| Total assets |
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| Owner | Charles III (in right of The Crown) |
The Crown Estate is a special collection of lands and properties across the United Kingdom. It belongs to the British monarch but is not their private property. Think of it as "the sovereign's public estate." It's not owned by the government either. Instead, it's managed by a group called the Crown Estate Commissioners.
Even though the monarch officially owns the estate, they don't manage it day-to-day. The Commissioners handle everything, acting "on behalf of the Crown." A part of the money earned from the estate helps fund the monarchy. The Crown Estate is one of the biggest property managers in the UK, looking after properties worth about £15.6 billion. This includes many buildings in central London, huge areas of farmland and forests, and even more than half of the UK's foreshore (the land between high and low tide). It also includes famous places like Ascot Racecourse and Windsor Great Park.
Historically, the reigning monarch used the Crown Estate to help pay for running the country. However, in 1760, George III made a deal: he gave control of the estate's income to the government. In return, the government gave him an annual payment called the civil list. Every monarch since then has agreed to this arrangement. Since 2012, the Civil List was replaced by the Sovereign Grant Act 2011. This means the monarch now receives a percentage of the Crown Estate's annual income. This new system helps provide a steady income for the monarch and avoids political debates about their funding.
Contents
How Did the Crown Estate Begin?
Royal Lands in England and Wales
The story of the Crown lands in England and Wales started way back in 1066 with the Norman Conquest. When William the Conqueror won, he became the owner of all the land in England. He then shared it out based on a system called feudalism. The land he kept for himself was known as the royal demesne, which included many royal manors.
By 1086, the king was the biggest landowner, holding over 18% of England's land. Local officials called sheriffs managed these royal lands. Each year, they paid the king a set amount of money, and they could keep any extra. This was a major source of income for the king.
Over time, the amount of land the Crown owned changed. Sometimes land was given away as rewards, especially during times of trouble. But the Crown also gained land through confiscations (taking land from people) or when land had no clear owner. By 1660, the Crown lands brought in about £263,598 a year. However, by 1702, this had dropped to around £6,000.
Before the late 1600s, all the money the kingdom earned went to the monarch to cover government costs. This included money from Crown lands and taxes. After the Glorious Revolution, Parliament took control of most taxes. The monarch was still responsible for running the civil government and supporting the royal family.
As the government grew, its costs became more than the income from Crown lands. This led to the monarch getting into debt.
When George III became king, he made a big change. He gave the income from the Crown lands to Parliament. In return, Parliament took over the costs of the civil government and paid off the king's debts. George III then received a fixed annual payment called the civil list.
Every king and queen after George III has continued this arrangement. By the 1800s, this system was seen as a key part of the country's rules. In 2011, the Sovereign Grant Act 2011 was passed. This new law changed how the monarch is funded. Now, the monarch receives a percentage of the Crown Estate's profits. This money helps the monarch carry out their duties, like hosting official events and maintaining royal palaces.
In April 2014, the Crown Estate planned to sell about 200 of its rural homes in the UK.
Crown Estate in Wales
The Crown Estate in Wales includes the seabed along the coast, most of the foreshore, and riverbeds. It also owns over 50,000 acres of Welsh upland and common land, plus the rights to gold and silver found there.
Many offshore wind farms in Wales are part of the Crown Estate. The value of the Welsh Crown Estate has grown a lot, from £49.2 million in 2020 to £603 million in 2022. Of the money it earns, 75% goes to the UK government, and 25% goes to the monarch.
There have been many calls in Wales to transfer control of the Crown Estate to the Welsh government. Polls show that most people in Wales support this idea.
Crown Land in Ireland
In 1793, George III also gave up the income from the Crown lands in Ireland. Most of these lands came from properties taken after rebellions. The remaining lands were often leased out, but rents were not always collected well.
In the 1820s, the largest Crown estate in Ireland was Pobble O'Keefe. Later, some Crown estates in Ireland were sold off, with the money being reinvested in Great Britain.
When the Irish Free State was formed in 1922, its constitution stated that Crown Estate land within its borders would belong to the new state. This happened on April 1, 1923.
In Northern Ireland, the Crown Estate's income grew from just £38 in 1960 to £1.4 million by 2016. This money comes from things like cables, pipelines, and wind farms on the foreshore, as well as gold mining.
Crown Land in Scotland
It wasn't until 1830 that King William IV gave up the income from the Crown estates in Scotland. These lands were then managed by a group called the Commissioners of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings. These holdings mostly included former church lands and old royal properties.
Most of the current Scottish estate, apart from foreshore and salmon fishing rights, has been bought more recently. This includes the large Glenlivet Estate, bought in 1937.
After the 2011 Scottish election, the Scottish National Party (SNP) asked for the Crown Estate income to be transferred to Scotland. While this didn't happen immediately, plans were made to give some of the income to coastal communities.
Crown Estate Scotland
The Scotland Act 2016 allowed the Scottish Government to take control of Scottish Crown Estate assets worth £272 million. This included the rights to develop marine energy projects. A new public body, Crown Estate Scotland (CES), was set up to manage these assets. This transfer of power happened on April 1, 2017.
Before the transfer, the Crown Estate owned a large share in the Fort Kinnaird retail park in Edinburgh. This part was not given to Crown Estate Scotland. Two years later, the Crown Estate sold its share and used the money to fully buy another retail park in Cheltenham, England.
The Crown Estate Today
Crown Estate Act 1961
Today, the Crown Estate is a special type of public body called a statutory corporation. It is run like a business by the Crown Estate Commissioners, following rules set out in the Crown Estate Act 1961. This Act says that the Commissioners must "maintain and enhance its value and the return obtained from it," while also being good managers.
The Act also states that the Commissioners must always try to get the best price when selling or leasing property. They cannot borrow money, and they can only make donations for religious or educational purposes connected to the estate, or for the welfare of tenants. The Act also says that the special character of the Windsor Estate (park and forest) must be protected, and no part of it can be sold. Each year, the Crown Estate must report to the monarch and Parliament on its performance.
In 2010, a UK Parliament committee looked into the Crown Estate. They were concerned about some of its investments and how it managed residential properties. They also felt that the Crown Estate focused too much on making money from the marine environment rather than considering the public interest.
What Does the Crown Estate Own?
City Properties
The Crown Estate owns many important properties in cities. This includes all of Regent Street and about half of St James's in London's West End. It also owns retail properties in other UK cities like Oxford, Exeter, and Newcastle.
The Crown Estate has invested a lot of money to improve these areas, making them better for businesses, shoppers, and visitors.
Rural Properties
The rural properties include about 116,000 hectares (287,000 acres) of farmland and forests. They also own rights to minerals and various residential and commercial properties in rural areas.
| Agricultural Interests | This includes land for both livestock and crop farming. It covers about 106,000 hectares (263,000 acres) across the UK, including common land, especially in Wales. |
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| Forestry | Around 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) of forests. |
| Minerals | The rights to dig up minerals cover about 115,500 hectares (285,500 acres). This includes operations for sand, gravel, limestone, and coal. |
Windsor Estate
The Windsor Estate is a large area of about 6,300 hectares. It includes Windsor Great Park, the Home Park near Windsor Castle, many forests, homes, businesses, golf courses, and farms.
| Commercial and Residential | Offices, shops, and hotels | 250 hectares |
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| Leisure | Golf clubs and Ascot Racecourse | 250 hectares |
| Agriculture | Farms | 1,200 hectares |
| Parkland | Home Park and Great Park | 1,600 hectares |
| Forestry | Woodland areas | 3,100 hectares |
Marine Properties
The Crown Estate also owns a lot of the UK's marine areas:
| Foreshore | It owns about 55% of the UK's foreshore (the land between high and low tide). Other parts are owned by the Duchy of Cornwall and the Duchy of Lancaster. |
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| Territorial Seabed | The Crown Estate owns almost all of the UK's seabed from the low water mark out to 12 nautical miles (about 22 kilometers). |
| Continental Shelf and Other Rights | This includes the UK's rights to the seabed and its resources beyond the 12-mile limit, such as for renewable energy, carbon storage, and mining. |
The Crown Estate plays a big role in developing offshore wind energy in the UK. It also manages other activities on the seabed, like wave and tidal energy projects, and submarine cables. On the foreshore, it issues licenses for aquaculture (fish farming) and owns space for about 18,000 boat moorings. As of 2020, its marine holdings were valued at £4.1 billion.
Other Rights and Interests
The Crown Estate also has other interesting rights and interests:
| Shopping Centres | It owns parts of or full shopping centres like CrownGate Shopping Centre in Worcester and Westgate Shopping Centre in Oxford. |
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| Retail Parks | It owns many retail parks across the UK, such as Crown Point Shopping Park in Leeds and MK1 Shopping Park in Milton Keynes. |
| Escheated Land | This is land that has no owner other than the Crown. This can happen if a company goes out of business or someone dies without heirs. |
| Licences and Rights | It grants licences for things like water mains, cables, and war memorials on its land, sometimes at no cost. |
Finances of the Crown Estate
In the financial year 2021/2022, the Crown Estate's properties were valued at £15.6 billion. It made a profit of £312.7 million, which is paid into the UK government's main fund.
Who Manages the Crown Estate?
Past Managers
Over time, different officials and groups have been in charge of managing what is now the Crown Estate:
- Surveyor General of Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases (17th century to 1810)
- Commissioners of Woods and Forests (1810–1831)
- Commissioners of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings (1832–1850)
- Commissioners of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues (1851–1924)
- Commissioners of Crown Lands (1924–1954)
Current Leaders of the Crown Estate Commissioners
The Crown Estate is led by a Chairman (also called the First Commissioner) and a Chief Executive (the Second Commissioner).
Chairmen (First Commissioner)
- 1955–62 – Sir Malcolm Trustram Eve
- 1962–77 – The Earl of Perth
- 1977–80 – Lord Thomson of Monifieth
- 1980–85 – The Earl of Crawford and Balcarres
- 1985–95 – The Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield
- 1995–2002 – Sir Denys Hartley Henderson
- 2002–2009 – Sir Ian David Grant
- 2010–2016 – Sir Stuart Hampson
- 2016 – Sir Robin Budenberg (current)
Chief Executives (Second Commissioner)
- 1955–60 – Sir Ronald Montague Joseph Harris
- 1960–68 – Sir Jack Alexander Sutherland-Harris
- 1968–78 – Sir William Alan Wood
- 1978–83 – Sir John Michael Moore
- 1983–89 – Dr Keith Dexter
- 1989-2001 – Sir Christopher Howes
- 2001–2011 – Roger Martin Francis Bright
- 2012–2019 – Dame Alison Nimmo
- 2019 – Dan Labbad (current)
The Chairman works part-time, while the Chief Executive is the only full-time leader on the Crown Estate's board.
See Also
- Balmoral Castle
- Duchy of Cornwall
- Duchy of Lancaster
- Regent Street
- Sandringham House
- Windsor Great Park
