Treasury windfall from Royal land

THE Treasury will receive a record windfall from the Queen's properties, thanks to soaring land and house prices. The Crown Estate, which manages the royal assets, will this week announce a record surplus of about £160m, 10% up on last year. Profits go to the Treasury in exchange for the Queen's Civil List payments.

The Crown Estate is one of Britain's biggest landowners. Its portfolio includes 1,000 listed buildings, 300,000 acres and other property ranging from Regent Street in central London to Portland Bill lighthouse in Dorset.

It also has 1,700 miles of coastline and the sea out to the 12-mile limit. The recent prices boom has sent the value of the Queen's land and property soaring to about £4.1bn. But toughening market conditions for commercial property and rents make it unlikely that the Treasury will see double-digit profits growth over the next few years.