SCROUNGING Royal family members now cost the taxpayers 69p per person as they begin a whopping £369 million worth of renovations at Buckingham Palace.

According to the Buckingham Palace data published yesterday, the Queen's net expenditure rose by £5.5m to £47.4m for the year 2017/18.

Funds received by the monarchy to pay for official duties and other expenditure — such as the Sovereign Grant, which is funded by the taxpayer to pay for the Royals’ official duties — also rose from £42.8m to £45.7m.

The Sovereign Grant for 2018/19 will be £82.2m, including the renovation costs, which includes overhauling the decades-old wiring systems, set to last 10 years.

Republic campaign group head Graham Smith told the Star the public shouldn't be spending any money on the royals, let alone increasing funds.

"The renovations are a result of neglect for 60-odd years," he said.

"They have completely ignored MPs’ calls to open the palace all year round to generate funds and taxpayers are paying for this.

"When there are people struggling to feed themselves, we should not be spending a single a penny on Prince Charles and his two sons."

Accounts show that travel costs rose from £4.5m to £4.7m, the most expensive trip costing an eye-watering £362,149 for Charles and Camilla to visit India, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore between October 29 and November 11 last year.

The figure includes travel on the prestigious RAF Voyager — the aircraft available for use by the Queen, Prince Charles and the sitting prime minister — as well as associated staff costs.

The Duke of Cornwall also used the Royal Train, which costs around £20,000 per trip, twice as often as the Queen.

Costs of work to renovate other royal residences also rose from £17.8m to £22.6m.

More than £1.4m was spent on a replacement roof to Apartment 1, Kensington Palace, the former home to Prince William and Kate, now occupied by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.