29 June 2023 , 13:17
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Buckingham Palace has missed its target for ethnic minority staff.
A total of 9.7 per cent of staff employed at the royal residence were from an minority ethnic background in 2022 - just below the 10 per cent target issued the previous year.
The Palace has now set a new target of 14 per cent of all employees by 2025.
A higher proportion of staff from an ethnic minority background were employed by the Prince and Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace, where the figure stands at 16.3 per cent.
It marks a considerable rise from the 12.6 per cent recorded the year before.
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The Palace has set a new target of 14% of all employees by 2025 (Getty Images)A total of 18 per cent of the UK population is from ethnic minority background, according to data from the 2021 census - up from 14 per cent 10 years prior.
The Royal Family began disclosing the ethnic breakdown of their staff last year after The Duke and Duchess of Sussex accused them of racism in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The Firm also brought in a change to its Diversity Strategy in early 2020 - before the Oprah interview - to actively emphasise the importance of inclusion.
A change in monarch and costs involved in renovating Buckingham Palace increased the Sovereign Grant last year (LightRocket via Getty Images)It comes as today's Sovereign Grant Report shows expenses for the Firm increased by five per cent compared to the previous year - a rise of £5.1million.
Every year, the King is handed the taxpayer-funded settlement, known as the Sovereign Grant, which was worth £86.3m for 2022-23.
Members of the royal family can only use the grant to pay for expenses related to their official duties, and the amount is based on a proportion of the profits of the Crown Estate.
However, repairs to Buckingham Palace - which is undergoing a 10-year £369m refurbishment plan - alongside costs associated with King Charles succeeding Queen Elizabeth, and soaring inflation, took spending up to £107.5m.
This is an equivalent spend to £1.29 per person in the UK each year, according to the Royal Family's 2022-23 financial report.
A statement from Keeper of the Privy Purse, Sir Michael Stevens, said the "year covered in today’s report represents an exceptional period of transition for the Royal Household".
Buckingham Palace has been approached for comment on the latest ethnic diversity figures.
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