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THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST

Registered charity 1016972 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also registered in Scotland as SC039772 (OSCR)

To ensure the Royal Collection is subject to proper custodial control and is conserved to the highest possible standards.To ensure the Royal Collection can be seen by as many people as possible.To broaden access through the publication of books and exhibition catalogues and development of the on-line gallery.To make appropriate acquisitions when resources become available.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£85.3m
Latest spending
£81.8m
Registered
1993
Accounts read
FY2026

Financial health, per its FY2026 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net income of £3.5m for the year ended 31 March 2026, a decrease from £13.9m in the prior year, primarily due to the repayment of insurance income and reduced visitor numbers. The trustees confirm that the organization has sufficient free reserves and a revolving credit facility to meet liabilities as they fall due and continue as a going concern for at least 12 months. The budget for the following year anticipates an operating surplus, with projections showing the ability to maintain appropriate levels of cash and free reserves.

Automated summary of the FY2026 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Trading subsidiary: Royal Collection Enterprises Limited
“The Trust has one wholly owned subsidiary, Royal Collection Enterprises Limited.” — page 5
Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by KPMG LLP. Discloses 3 of 6 completeness components.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

UK research funding (UKRI Gateway to Research)

Trustpilot: RoyalCollectionTrust scores 3.6/5 from 5 reviews (source) — reviews usually concern the charity’s shops or services, not its charitable performance.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2026)

Total income
£85.3m
Total spending
£81.8m
Cost of raising funds
£20.1m
Reserves (reported)
£14.4m
Employees
1,106

Reported reserves equal ~2.1 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (72% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 23.6% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 3.8%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2026£85.3m£81.8m
31/03/2025£89.9m£76.0m
31/03/2024£84.3m£72.2m
31/03/2023£61.9m£53.9m
31/03/2022£24.0m£39.1m

Common questions

Is THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2026 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net income of £3.5m for the year ended 31 March 2026, a decrease from £13.9m in the prior year, primarily due to the repayment of insurance income and reduced visitor numbers. The trustees confirm that the organization has sufficient free reserves and a revolving credit facility to meet liabilities as they fall due and continue as a going concern for at least 12 months. The budget for the following year anticipates an operating surplus, with projections showing the ability to maintain appropriate levels of cash and free reserves. Its FY2026 accounts were audited by KPMG LLP.

Who funds THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST as a grant recipient include THE SANDERSON FOUNDATION, THE MICHAEL BISHOP FOUNDATION, THE COMPANY OF ARTS SCHOLARS CHARITABLE TRUST, H M SASSOON CHARITABLE TRUST, STANLEY PICKER TRUST.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE SANDERSON FOUNDATIONFY2024£300k
THE MICHAEL BISHOP FOUNDATIONFY2022£200kof which £125,000 was an instalment of a £1m commitment over a 7 year period to support the restoration of a significant property at Holyrood House to display i
THE MICHAEL BISHOP FOUNDATIONFY2023£125krestoration of property at Holyrood House
THE SANDERSON FOUNDATIONFY2022£100k
THE MICHAEL BISHOP FOUNDATIONFY2023£75kCassiano dal Pozzo Catalogue Project
THE COMPANY OF ARTS SCHOLARS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£20kAssistant Metalwork Conservator
THE COMPANY OF ARTS SCHOLARS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£20k
H M SASSOON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2026£5k
STANLEY PICKER TRUSTFY2023£5kSpecial Awards
STANLEY PICKER TRUSTFY2022£4kSpecial Awards
THE COMPANY OF ARTS SCHOLARS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£175Education
THE SANDERSON FOUNDATIONFY2023£0
THE DAIWA ANGLO-JAPANESE FOUNDATIONFY2022£0Support for travel to London by Kazumi Murose

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
THE ANTHONY AND ELIZABETH MELLOWS CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT2£103k
THE BILLMEIR CHARITABLE TRUST2£31k
THE WILLIE AND MABEL MORRIS CHARITABLE TRUST2£1k
The SVH Foundation1£8.2m
THE JULIA RAUSING TRUST1£6.0m
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST1£5.3m
THE ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION1£1.3m
ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION LIMITED1£1.3m

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with Royal Academy Trust.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST£85.3m——unclear—no doubt
Royal Academy Trust FY2025£5.4m—0unclear—no doubt
ROYAL ARTILLERY MUSEUM FY2024£825k—0above—no doubt
THE NATIONAL GALLERY TRUST FY2025£8.4m—0unclear—no doubt
COLLECTIONS TRUST FY2025£535k——unclear—no doubt
KING'S OWN ROYAL BORDER REGIMENT MUSEUM FUND FY2025£218k—0unclear—no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.