Charles went on most costly trip

PRINCE Charles has racked up the most expensive royal trip of last year with a £362,000 tour of India, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore, it emerged yesterday.

Aides insisted the heir to the throne made the trip, along with his wife Camilla, aboard an RAF Voyager at the request of the Foreign Office in the 2017-2018 financial year.

Accounts, known as the Sovereign Grant, revealed that Charles used the royal train seven times, at a cost of £20,000 for each journey, compared with the Queen’s four trips.

Officials say the choice of transport was the most efficient and secure and provided the best value for money.

A spokesman said: “We would always be looking at alternative options. We would be considering whether the visit could be undertaken by other forms of transport. There is always a comparative evaluation.”

Royals cost the taxpayer £4.7million, up from £4.5million in the previous financial year.

Meanwhile, funding for the young royals leapt by 42 per cent in the year that Meghan joined the Royal Family.

Clarence House accounts showed that the expenditure bracket covering Prince Harry and his wife went up £1.5million. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children are also included in the category which jumped from £3.5million to £5million. Prince’s Far East visit cost £362,000