In order to carry out official duties and tours the royal family often travel by air. In fact, between 2015 and 2020 the family racked up 545,161 air miles, at a cost of £6.5 million ($8.2m), according to a report by Stratos Jet Charters. That's enough to “get them to the moon and back, and then complete three loops of the earth’s equator”. The top traveller during this period by far was Prince Charles, who made 25 trips – 88% of which were by private jet – at a cost of more than £2.4 million ($3m). Prince Andrew had the second-highest air miles at 77,668 across nine trips, costing more than £225,000 ($283k), but only a third were private jet trips. Prince Charles' wife Camilla came in third, and Prince Harry, who has now stepped back from the royal family, journeyed 51,362 miles and was the fourth-most travelled royal. His trips cost £442,900 ($555.5k) and 43% were by private jet. His brother and second-in-line to the throne Prince William came in fifth place after generating 48,496 air miles over 10 trips – 70% of which were by private jet – at a cost of £477,054 ($598k).
The Queen rarely travels by air, generating just 3,752 air miles on two trips in the past five years. While both were by private jet, the cost was a far smaller £83,575 ($105k). Travel costs have been understandably muted in 2020/21 because of COVID-19 restrictions, but the cost of journeys undertaken by Prince Charles and his part of the family by air and rail still added up to £252,000 ($316k), according to the most recent annual finance review.