King Charles Wants New Helicopters, Will Convert the State Bentley Limos to Biofuel

Often mocked for his proposals to cut down emissions by the local media, his subjects, and even some of his peers (though never on the record), King Charles is having a "he who laughs last" moment right now. At the very least, he should feel vindicated that everyone from regular taxpayers to politicians and private companies has finally understood the pressing need to do something to halt climate change before it's too late.

For his part, he's already doing whatever he can in this sense. The yearly Sovereign Grant report has been published, and we get an inkling as to what these exact things are.

The Sovereign Grant report aims to show where the taxpayers' money goes by detailing the expenses of the monarchy. The UK Royal Family is funded by the people, through the Sovereign Grant, but in return, the King surrenders revenue from the Crown Estate.

As per the report, the Crown Estate has seen a surge in revenue of £658 million ($847.8 million at the current exchange rate) over the past year, which means that the King is flush with cash. He plans to use that to finally carry through with the decades-old plan of converting the Bentley State Limousines to run on biofuel. The conversion was made official in 2009, but as of this moment, there have been no concrete plans announced.

The King has two State Bentley Limos in service right now, each valued at some £10 million ($12.8 million) that he uses on formal occasions either by himself or with other family members. They're based on the Bentley Arnage but bigger, heavier, taller, and more powerful, while also armored and equipped to withstand any potential attack.

Reports about plans for their conversion emerged in 2009, with the then-Prince Charles spearheading the initiative. The man has an entire small fleet of vehicles running on biofuel, so no wonder he wanted to work on the massive, gas-guzzling Bentleys as well.

The report notes that the conversion would be an "interim measure" while the Royal Household is looking into full electrification of the Royal fleet. Apparently, they're also taking into consideration going with other carmaker for that, beside their traditional partners, Bentley, Jaguar Land Rover, and Rolls-Royce.

With the news of the Bentley conversion comes confirmation of other changes King Charles is working on. The 15-year-old Sikorsky S-76s now in service will be replaced next year by a pair of AgustaWestland AW139s, also on consideration of their ability to run on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The plans have already been approved by Treasury, with the new aircraft expected to arrive in 2024-2025.

In response to criticism that members of the Royal Family are relying too much on helicopter travel, even over distances that could be easily and more sustainably covered by car or by train, a Palace official notes that "helicopters are a very important tool in our travel resources" and that they intend to "sweat the asset," which is just a fancier way of saying "make the most of it since it's already been bought."

In keeping with his lifelong commitment to a more sustainable life, King Charles has also overseen the installation of solar panels on Windsor Castle, the report says.