Crown Estate
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The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
belonging to the British monarch as a
corporation sole A corporation sole is a legal entity consisting of a single ("sole") incorporated office, occupied by a single ("sole") natural person.
, making it "the sovereign's public estate", which is neither government property nor part of the monarch's private estate. The sovereign is not involved with the management or administration of the estate, and exercises only very limited control of its affairs. Instead, the estate's extensive
portfolio Portfolio may refer to: Objects * Portfolio (briefcase), a type of briefcase Collections * Portfolio (finance), a collection of assets held by an institution or a private individual * Artist's portfolio, a sample of an artist's work or a c ...
is overseen by a semi-independent, incorporated public body headed by the Crown Estate Commissioners, who exercise "the powers of ownership" of the estate, although they are not "owners in their own right". The revenues from these hereditary possessions have been placed by the monarch at the disposition of
His Majesty's Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...
in exchange for relief from the responsibility to fund the Civil Government. These revenues proceed directly to
His Majesty's Treasury His Majesty's Treasury (HM Treasury), occasionally referred to as the Exchequer, or more informally the Treasury, is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for developing and executing the government's public finance policy and e ...
, for the benefit of the British nation. The Crown Estate is formally accountable to the
Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...
, where it is legally mandated to make an annual report to the sovereign, a copy of which is forwarded to the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
. In
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, the Crown Estate is managed by
Crown Estate Scotland Crown Estate Scotland ( gd, Oighreachd a' Chrùin Alba) is the public corporation of the Scottish Government responsible for the management of land and property in Scotland owned by the monarch 'in right of the Crown'. It devolved from the Cro ...
, a body formed in 2016. The Crown Estate is one of the largest property managers in the United Kingdom, administering property worth £14.1 billion, with urban properties valued at £9.1 billion representing the majority of the estate by value. These include many properties in central London, but the estate also controls 7,920 km2 of agricultural land and forest and more than half of the UK's
foreshore The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species ...
, and retains various other traditional holdings and rights, including
Ascot Racecourse Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...
and
Windsor Great Park Windsor Great Park is a Royal Park of , including a deer park, to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. It is adjacent to the private Home Park, which is nearer the castle. The park was, for man ...
. While
Windsor Home Park The Home Park, previously known as the Little Park (and originally Lydecroft Park), is a private Royal park, administered by the Crown Estate. It lies on the eastern side of Windsor Castle in the town and former civil parish of Windsor in the E ...
is also part of the Crown Estate, occupied royal palaces, such as
Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original c ...
itself, are not part of the Crown Estate, but are managed through the Royal Household. Naturally occurring gold and silver in the UK, collectively known as "Mines Royal", are managed by the Crown Estate and leased to mining operators. Historically, Crown Estate properties were administered by the reigning monarch to help fund the business of governing the country. However, in 1760,
George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
surrendered control over the Estate's revenues to the Treasury, thus relieving him of the responsibility of paying for the costs of the civil service, defence costs, the national debt, and his own personal debts. In return, he received an annual grant known as the Civil List. By tradition, each subsequent monarch agreed to this arrangement upon his or her accession. Since 1 April 2012, under the terms of the
Sovereign Grant Act 2011 The Sovereign Grant Act 2011 (c. 15) is the Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which introduced the Sovereign Grant, the payment which is paid annually to the monarch by the government in order to fund the monarch's official duties. It ...
(SSG), the Civil List was abolished and the monarch has been provided with a stable source of revenue indexed to a percentage of the Crown Estate's annual net income (currently set at 25%). This was intended to provide a long-term solution and remove the politically sensitive issue of Parliament having to debate the Civil List allowance every ten years. Subsequently, the Sovereign Grant Act allows for all future monarchs to simply extend these provisions for their reigns by
Order in Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council (''Kin ...
. The act does not imply any legal change in the nature of the estate's ownership, but is simply a benchmark by which the sovereign grant is set as a grant by Parliament.


History


Crown land in England and Wales

The history of the Crown lands in
England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is Eng ...
begins with the
Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...
in 1066. When
William I William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...
died, the land he had acquired by
right of conquest The right of conquest is a right of ownership to land after immediate possession via force of arms. It was recognized as a principle of international law that gradually deteriorated in significance until its proscription in the aftermath of Worl ...
was still largely intact. His successors granted large estates to the nobles and barons who supplied them with men and arms. The monarch's remaining land was divided into royal manors, each managed separately by a
seneschal The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...
. The period between the reigns of William I and Queen Anne was one of continuous alienation of lands. The Crown lands were augmented as well as depleted over the centuries: Edward I extended his possessions into
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, and
James VI & I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...
had his own Crown lands in Scotland which were ultimately combined with the Crown lands of England and Wales. The disposals outweighed the acquisitions: at the time of the
Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...
in 1660, the total revenue arising from Crown lands was estimated to be £263,598 (equal to £ today). By the end of the reign of William III (1689–1702) it was reduced to some £6,000 (equal to £ today).H M Treasury "Blue Note", Class X, 2, 1912 Before the reign of William III all the revenues of the kingdom were bestowed on the monarch for the general expenses of government. These revenues were of two kinds:Best, p. 1 *the hereditary revenues, derived principally from the Crown lands, feudal rights (commuted for the hereditary excise duties in 1660), profits of the post office, with licences, etc. *the temporary revenues derived from taxes granted to the king for a term of years or for life. After the
Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
,
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
retained under its own control the greater part of the temporary revenues, and relieved the sovereign of the cost of the naval and military services and the burden of the national debt. During the reigns of William III, Anne,
George I George I or 1 may refer to: People * Patriarch George I of Alexandria (fl. 621–631) * George I of Constantinople (d. 686) * George I of Antioch (d. 790) * George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9) * George I of Georgia (d. 1027) * Yuri Dolgor ...
and
George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) ...
the sovereign remained responsible for the maintenance of the civil government and for the support of the royal household and dignity, being allowed for these purposes the hereditary revenues and certain taxes. As the state machinery expanded, the cost of the civil government exceeded the income from the Crown lands and feudal rights; this created a personal debt for the monarch. On George III's accession he surrendered the income from the Crown lands to Parliament, and abrogated responsibility for the cost of the civil government and the clearance of associated debts. As a result, and to avoid pecuniary embarrassment, he was granted a fixed civil list payment and the income retained from the
Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is the private estate of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British sovereign as Duke of Lancaster. The principal purpose of the estate is to provide a source of independent income to the sovereign. The estate consists of ...
.Best, p. 2 The King surrendered to parliamentary control the hereditary excise duties, post office revenues, and "the small branches" of hereditary revenue including rents of the Crown lands in England (which amounted to about £11,000, or £ today), and was granted a civil list annuity of £800,000 (equal to £ today) for the support of his household, subject to the payment of certain annuities to members of the royal family. Although the King had retained large hereditary revenues, his income proved insufficient for his charged expenses because he used the privilege to reward supporters with bribes and gifts. Debts amounting to over £3 million (equal to £ today) over the course of George's reign were paid by Parliament, and the civil list annuity was then increased from time to time. Every succeeding sovereign down to and including
Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
renewed the arrangement made between George III and Parliament. By the 19th century the practice was recognised as "an integral part of the Constitution
hich Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...
would be difficult to abandon". Nevertheless, a review of funding arrangements for the monarchy led to the passage of the
Sovereign Grant Act 2011 The Sovereign Grant Act 2011 (c. 15) is the Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which introduced the Sovereign Grant, the payment which is paid annually to the monarch by the government in order to fund the monarch's official duties. It ...
, which according to HM Treasury, is:
A new consolidated grant rounding together the Civil List, Royal Palaces and Royal Travel grants-in-aid. It is intended that future funding will be set as a fraction of The Crown Estate revenue and paid through the annual Treasury Estimates process, and subject to full National Audit Office audit....
The Grant is to enable The Queen to discharge her duties as Head of State. i.e. it meets the central staff costs and running expenses of Her Majesty's official Household – such things as official receptions, investitures, garden parties and so on. It will also cover the maintenance of the Royal Palaces in England and the cost of travel to carry out royal engagements such as opening buildings and other royal visits....
While the amount of the Grant will be linked to the profits of the Crown Estate, those profits will continue to be paid in to the Exchequer; they are not to be hypothecated. Setting the Grant at a percentage of profits of the Crown Estate will help to put in place a durable and transparent framework.
In April 2014 it was reported that the Crown Estate was proposing to sell about 200 of its 750 rural homes in the UK, and was evicting tenants in preparation.


Crown land in Ireland

In 1793, George III surrendered the hereditary revenues of the
Kingdom of Ireland The Kingdom of Ireland ( ga, label=Classical Irish, an Ríoghacht Éireann; ga, label=Modern Irish, an Ríocht Éireann, ) was a monarchy on the island of Ireland that was a client state of England and then of Great Britain. It existed from ...
, and was granted a civil list annuity for certain expenses of Irish civil government. Most of the Crown land by then was from forfeitures after the 1641 rebellion or the 1688–91 revolution, with some smaller older parcels remaining from earlier rebellions, the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the
Norman period The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...
. Most confiscated land had been granted away again, as under the
Adventurers' Act The Adventurers' Act is an Act of the Parliament of England which specified its aim as "the speedy and effectual reducing of the rebels in His Majesty's Kingdom of Ireland". The Irish Rebellion of 1641 had broken out five months earlier, and ...
1642,
Act of Settlement 1662 The Act of Settlement 1662 was passed by the Irish Parliament in Dublin. It was a partial reversal of the Cromwellian Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652, which punished Irish Catholics and Royalists for fighting against the English Parliam ...
, and the Act of Resumption 1700. The balance which remained in Crown hands included the "undisposed lands" of the 1662 settlement (worth less than the small quit rent that a grantee would have had to pay) and the balance unsold by the trustees under the 1700 act at its 1703 time limit. The scattered crown lands were
farmed Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
out on long leases with little regard to the collection of rent. Responsibility lay with the Quit Rent Office, which was absorbed in 1827 by the
Commissioners of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues The Commissioners of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues were officials under the United Kingdom Crown, charged with the management of Crown lands. Their office were customarily known as the Office of Woods. Under the Act of Parliament 14 and 15 Vict ...
. The largest Crown estate in the 1820s was Pobble O'Keefe in
Sliabh Luachra Sliabh Luachra (), sometimes anglicised Slieve Logher, is an upland region in Munster, Ireland. It is on the borders of counties Cork, Kerry and Limerick, and bounded to the south by the River Blackwater. It includes the Mullaghareirk Mounta ...
at . In 1828 the lease expired, and Richard Griffith was appointed to supervise its improvement, including the foundation of the model village of Kingwilliamstown. In the early 1830s the Crown Estate resumed possession of land in Ballykilcline following the insanity of the head lessee. The occupational sub-lessees were seven years in arrears with their rent and the result was the Ballykilcline "removals" – free emigration to the new world in 1846. There was further state-assisted emigration from overpopulated Crown estates during the Great Famine. There is evidence of Crown Estate public work schemes to employ the more distressed in improving drainage etc. In 1854 a select committee of the House of Lords concluded that the small estates in
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
should be sold. were subsequently sold for circa £25,000 (equal to £ today) at auction and £10,000 (equal to £ today) by private treaty: a major
disinvestment Disinvestment refers to the use of a concerted economic boycott to pressure a government, industry, or company towards a change in policy, or in the case of governments, even regime change. The term was first used in the 1980s, most commonly in ...
, with reinvestment in
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
. Article 11 of the 1922
Constitution of the Irish Free State The Constitution of the Irish Free State ( ga, Bunreacht Shaorstát Eireann) was adopted by Act of Dáil Éireann sitting as a constituent assembly on 25 October 1922. In accordance with Article 83 of the Constitution,Irish Free State The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between ...
would belong to the state, which took over administrative responsibilities on 1 April 1923. At the time of handover,
quit rents Quit rent, quit-rent, or quitrent is a tax or land tax imposed on occupants of Fee simple, freehold or leased land in lieu of services to a higher landowning authority, usually a government or its Assignment (law), assigns. Under feudal law, the ...
totalled £23,418 (equal to £ today) and rent from property £1,191 (equal to £ today). The estates handed over mostly comprised foreshore.Pugh, p. 17 The Crown Estate in
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
in 1960 comprised "a few quit rents ... yielding yearly only £38." By 2016 it had an income of £1.4m, from cables, pipelines and windfarms on the foreshore, and goldmining in
County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional Counties of Ireland, counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an admini ...
. Development of the seabed below low tide is hampered by a sovereignty dispute with the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
.


Crown land in Scotland

It was not until 1830 that
King William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded hi ...
revoked the income from the Crown estates in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. The hereditary land revenues of the Crown in Scotland, formerly under the management of the Barons of the Exchequer, were transferred to the Commissioners of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings and their successors under the Crown Lands (Scotland) Acts of 1832, 1833 and 1835. These holdings mainly comprised former ecclesiastical land (following the abolition of the episcopacy in 1689) in
Caithness Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded by ...
and
Orkney Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...
, and ancient royal possession in
Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
and Edinburgh, and feudal dues. There was virtually no urban property. Most of the present Scottish estate excepting foreshore and salmon fishing is due to inward investment, including
Glenlivet Estate The Glenlivet Estate is located in Glenlivet, Scotland in the Cairngorms National Park. It measures and is part of The Crown Estate. The estate welcomes visitors and has a network of car parks, waymarked walks, adventure playground and a moun ...
, the largest area of land managed by the Crown Estate in Scotland, purchased in 1937, Applegirth, Fochabers and Whitehill estates, purchased in 1963, 1937 and 1969 respectively. After winning the 2011 Scottish election, the
Scottish National party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
(SNP) called for the
devolution Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territories h ...
of the Crown Estate income to Scotland. In response to this demand, the
Scotland Office The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland ( gd, Oifis Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba), often referred to as, and formerly officially called, the Scotland Office, is a department of His Majesty's Government headed by the Secretary of Sta ...
decided against dividing up the Crown Estates. However, plans have been developed to allocate some of the Crown Estate income to the
Big Lottery Fund The National Lottery Community Fund, legally named the Big Lottery Fund, is a non-departmental public body responsible for distributing funds raised by the National Lottery for "good causes". Since 2004 it has awarded over £9 billion to ...
, which would then distribute funds to coastal communities. These plans have also been criticised by the SNP.


Crown Estate Scotland

The Scottish Government has taken control of a portfolio of assets totalling £272 million ($339.6 million) after a devolved Scottish Crown Estate was established, including the rights to develop marine energy projects in the country. A new public body, called
Crown Estate Scotland Crown Estate Scotland ( gd, Oighreachd a' Chrùin Alba) is the public corporation of the Scottish Government responsible for the management of land and property in Scotland owned by the monarch 'in right of the Crown'. It devolved from the Cro ...
(CES), will oversee seabed areas hosting offshore wind, wave and tidal projects, and some continental shelf activities. Prior to the handover, the Crown Estate owned a multi-million stake in
Fort Kinnaird Fort Kinnaird is a large outdoor retail park located off the A1 in the south-east of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is currently the second largest retail park in the UK with 75 units occupied. History Built on the site of the former Newcraighall C ...
retail park in Edinburgh representing about 60% of the value of all Crown assets in Scotland. This was not passed to Crown Estates Scotland with other Scottish properties in 2016. Two years later, the Crown Estate sold its stake and used the funds to assume full ownership of the Gallagher Retail Park in Cheltenham.


Present day


Crown Estate Act 1961

The Crown Estate is now a
statutory corporation A statutory corporation is a government entity created as a statutory body by statute. Their precise nature varies by jurisdiction, thus, they are statutes owned by a government or controlled by national or sub-national government to the (in ...
run on commercial lines by the Crown Estate Commissioners under the provisions of the Crown Estate Act 1961. Under that Act, the Crown Estate Commissioners have a duty "while maintaining the Crown Estate as an estate in land ..to maintain and enhance its value and the return obtained from it, but with due regard to the requirements of good management". The Act provides among other things that (Section 1(5)) "The validity of transactions entered into by the Commissioners shall not be called in question on any suggestion of their not having acted in accordance with the provisions of this Act regulating the exercise of their powers, or of their having otherwise acted in excess of their authority, nor shall any person dealing with the Commissioners be concerned to inquire as to the extent of their authority or the observance of any restrictions on the exercise of their powers".


Summary of the Act

The Act includes the following: *The Crown Estate is an estate in land only, apart from cash and
gilts Gilt-edged securities are bonds issued by the UK Government. The term is of British origin, and then referred to the debt securities issued by the Bank of England on behalf of His Majesty's Treasury, whose paper certificates had a gilt (or gilde ...
holdings necessary for the conduct of business. *The Crown Estate Commissioners, who comprise the main board, are approved by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister. They are limited to eight persons. *The board of commissioners have a duty to: **maintain and enhance the capital value of the estate and its revenue income; but at the same time **take into account the need to observe a high standard of estate management practice. *When selling or letting its property the Crown Estate should always seek to achieve the best consideration (i.e. price) which can reasonably be obtained in all the circumstances, but discounting any monopoly value (mainly from ownership of the foreshore and seabed). *The Crown Estate cannot grant leases for a term of longer than 150 years. *The Crown Estate cannot grant land options for more than ten years unless the property is re-valued when the option is exercised. *The Crown Estate cannot borrow money. *Donations can be made for religious or educational purposes connected with the estate or for tenants' welfare. Otherwise, charitable donations are forbidden. *The character of the Windsor Estate (park and forest) must be preserved; no part of the estate may be sold. *A report should be submitted to the monarch and to Parliament annually, showing the performance of the estate over the previous year. *The Crown Estate should observe professional accounting practices and distinguish in its accounts between capital and revenue. *Money received as a premium from a tenant on the granting of a new lease should be allocated between capital and revenue as follows: **where the lease is for a term of thirty years or less it must be treated as revenue; **for leases of more than thirty years it must be treated as capital. In 2010 a UK Parliament Treasury Committee report on the Crown Estate, the first for twenty years, reported that * it is "alarmed" that the Crown Estate in 2007 started investing in joint ventures such as the Gibraltar Limited Partnership, which it says is in "grave" financial difficulties. The Crown Estate owns 50% of the partnership, which owns the
Fort Kinnaird Fort Kinnaird is a large outdoor retail park located off the A1 in the south-east of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is currently the second largest retail park in the UK with 75 units occupied. History Built on the site of the former Newcraighall C ...
retail park near Edinburgh; * the Crown Estate has a monopoly over the marine environment, and has focused too strongly on collecting revenues rather than acting in the long-term public interest around ports and harbours; * the quality of residential property management in the urban estate falls short. Consultation processes have lacked transparency, and the committee was "particularly concerned" that the Crown Estate had failed to consult local bodies which had rights to nominate key workers; * some non-commercial historic properties should be reviewed with a view to transferring management to conservation bodies such as English Heritage; * ministers should take a greater interest in the Crown Estate, because its overall management struggles to balance revenue generation with acting in the wider public interest. Crown Estate chief executive Roger Bright said: "We welcome the Committee’s recognition that we run a successful business operation."


Holdings


Urban portfolio

This includes the entirety of
Regent Street Regent Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London. It is named after George, the Prince Regent (later George IV) and was laid out under the direction of the architect John Nash and James Burton. It runs from Waterloo Place ...
and around half of
St James's St James's is a central district in the City of Westminster, London, forming part of the West End. In the 17th century the area developed as a residential location for the British aristocracy, and around the 19th century was the focus of the de ...
in
London's West End The West End of London (commonly referred to as the West End) is a district of Central London, west of the City of London and north of the River Thames, in which many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buil ...
as well as retail property across the UK in locations including
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
,
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
,
Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
,
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
,
Harlow Harlow is a large town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a new town, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire and London, Harlow occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upp ...
, and
Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
. In 2002 the Crown Estate began implementing a £1 billion investment programme to improve Regent Street's commercial, retail, and visitor facilities and public realm. In addition, it is investing £500 million in St James's, including a number of major redevelopments. Mayfair/Regent Street St James


Rural portfolio

Holdings consist of around 116,000 hectares (287,000 acres) of agricultural land and forests, together with minerals and residential and commercial property.


Windsor Estate

The Windsor Estate covers approximately 6,300 hectares and includes
Windsor Great Park Windsor Great Park is a Royal Park of , including a deer park, to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. It is adjacent to the private Home Park, which is nearer the castle. The park was, for man ...
, the
Home Park Home Park is a football stadium in Plymouth, England. The ground has been the home of Football League One club Plymouth Argyle since 1901.Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original c ...
, extensive forests, residential and commercial properties, golf courses, a racecourse and let farms.


Marine holdings

The Crown Estate's marine holdings consist of: The Crown Estate plays a major role in the development of the offshore wind energy industry in the UK. Other commercial activity managed by the Crown Estate on the seabed includes wave and tidal energy,
carbon capture and storage Carbon capture and storage (CCS) or carbon capture and sequestration is the process of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) before it enters the atmosphere, transporting it, and storing it (carbon sequestration) for centuries or millennia. Usually th ...
, aggregates, submarine cables and pipelines and the mining of
potash Potash () includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form.
. In terms of the foreshore, the Crown Estate issue licences or leases for around 850 aquaculture sites and owns marina space for approximately 18,000 moorings. , marine holdings had a value of £4.1 billion.


Other rights and interests

Other rights and interests include:


Finances

In the 2015/2016 fiscal year, the Crown Estate's property evaluation was £12 billion with a £304.1 million net revenue profit (up 6.7%).


Governance


Historical

Previous officials responsible for managing what is now the Crown Estate were: *
Surveyor General of Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases The post of Surveyor General of Woods, Forests, Parks and Chases was an office under the English (later the United Kingdom) Crown, charged with the management of Crown lands. The office was at one time divided between surveyors south and north of ...
and
Surveyor General of the Land Revenues of the Crown The post of Surveyor General of the Land Revenues of the Crown was an office under the English (later the United Kingdom) Crown, charged with the management of Crown lands. In 1810, by the Act 50 Geo III Cap 65, later amended by the Act 10 Geo IV ...
, 17th century to 1810 *
Commissioners of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues The Commissioners of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues were officials under the United Kingdom Crown, charged with the management of Crown lands. Their office were customarily known as the Office of Woods. Under the Act of Parliament 14 and 15 Vict ...
, 1810–1831 * Commissioners of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings, 1832–1850 *
Commissioners of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues The Commissioners of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues were officials under the United Kingdom Crown, charged with the management of Crown lands. Their office were customarily known as the Office of Woods. Under the Act of Parliament 14 and 15 Vict ...
, 1851–1924 * Commissioners of Crown Lands, 1924–1954


Chairmen and chief executives of the Crown Estate Commissioners

Chairmen (First Commissioner) *1955–62 –
Sir Malcolm Trustram Eve Arthur Malcolm Trustram Eve, 1st Baron Silsoe (8 April 1894 – 3 December 1976), known as Sir Malcolm Trustram Eve, 1st Baronet, from 1943 to 1963, was a British barrister and First Church Estates Commissioner. Biography Eve was the son of Sir ...
(later Lord Silsoe) (1894–1976) *1962–77 – The Earl of Perth (1907–2002) *1977–80 – Lord Thomson of Monifieth (1921–2008) *1980–85 – The Earl of Crawford and Balcarres (born 1927) *1985–95 – The Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield (1930–2015) *1995–2002 – Sir Denys Hartley Henderson (1932–2016) *2002–2009 – Sir Ian David Grant (born 1943) *2010–2016 –
Sir Stuart Hampson Sir Stuart Hampson (born 7 January 1947) is a British businessman. He was formerly chairman of the John Lewis Partnership. He was the fourth person to be appointed and held the position since 1993. Biography Hampson joined the Partnership in ...
(born 1947) *2016 –
Robin Budenberg Robin Francis Budenberg CBE (born 1959) is a British Corporate Adviser. He was appointed non-executive Director of Lloyds Banking Group on 1 October 2020 and became Chairman on 4 January 2021 and was appointed Chairman of The Crown Estate on 9 ...
(born 1959) Chief executives (Second Commissioner) *1955–60 – Sir Ronald Montague Joseph Harris (1913–1995) *1960–68 – Sir Jack Alexander Sutherland-Harris (1908–1986) *1968–78 – Sir William Alan Wood (1916–2010) *1978–83 – Sir John Michael Moore (1921–2016) *1983–89 – Dr Keith Dexter (1928–1989) *1989-2001 – Sir Christopher Howes (born 1942) *2001–2011 – Roger Martin Francis Bright (born 1951) *2012–2019 – Dame
Alison Nimmo Dame Alison Nimmo DBE (born 25 May 1964) is a Scottish Chartered Surveyor who was chief executive of The Crown Estate, (an organisation with a property portfolio estimated at £10 billion) from 2012 to 2019. Early life Nimmo was born in Edinbur ...
(born 1964) *2019 – Dan Labbad The chairman (formally titled "first commissioner") is part-time. The chief executive (the "second commissioner") is the only full-time executive member of the Crown Estate's board.


See also

* Balmoral Castle *
Crown Estate Paving Commission The Crown Estate Paving Commission (CEPC) is the body responsible for managing certain aspects of the built environment around Regent's Park, London.
* Duchy of Cornwall *
Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is the private estate of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British sovereign as Duke of Lancaster. The principal purpose of the estate is to provide a source of independent income to the sovereign. The estate consists of ...
* Prince's Coverts – Area of managed woodland in Oxshott, Surrey *
Regent Street Regent Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London. It is named after George, the Prince Regent (later George IV) and was laid out under the direction of the architect John Nash and James Burton. It runs from Waterloo Place ...
*
Sandringham House Sandringham House is a country house in the parish of Sandringham, Norfolk, England. It is one of the royal residences of Charles III, whose grandfather, George VI, and great-grandfather, George V, both died there. The house stands in a estate ...
*
Windsor Great Park Windsor Great Park is a Royal Park of , including a deer park, to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. It is adjacent to the private Home Park, which is nearer the castle. The park was, for man ...
*
Patrimonio Nacional Patrimonio Nacional ( en, National Heritage) is a Spanish autonomous agency, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Presidency, that administers the sites owned by the Spanish State and used by the Monarch and the Spanish Royal F ...


Notes


References

*Annual Reports of Commissioners of Woods and Forests 1811, 1853 and 1855 *Best, G. Percival (writing as "G. Percival")
"The Civil List and the Hereditary Revenues of the Crown"
''The Fortnightly Review'', London, March 1901 *Commissioners of Enquiry into the Woods, Forests and Land Revenues of the Crown
Twelfth Report
London, 1792 *Crown Estate, The
Annual report and accounts 2009
Retrieved July 2009 *Pugh, R B.
''The Crown Estate – an Historical Essay''
London, The Crown Estate, 1960


External links

*
Crown Estate annual report of assets
* {{authority control Statutory corporations of the United Kingdom government HM Treasury Estate Real estate in the United Kingdom Agriculture in the United Kingdom United Kingdom coast and countryside Forests and woodlands of the United Kingdom 1961 establishments in the United Kingdom Organisations based in the City of Westminster Monarchy and money