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Rating for HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES

90/100 Clarity Score · 4 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

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90/100

Clarity score

Exceptional

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United Kingdom Reg 1068852 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES is a registered UK charity (1068852) working in children & youth across the United Kingdom. CharityCompare scores the organisation from public Charity Commission annual accounts — financial efficiency, transparency, and filing compliance — not programme outcomes.

In short: HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES scores 90 out of 100 (4 stars). 83% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES has a Clarity Score of 90 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 1068852. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £33m, with 83% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 3 months of operating costs. No major red flags from our filing review. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation.

Data from Charity Commission register, last updated .

Overall score

90/100

4★ · Great

Cause spend

83%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£33m

Latest year 2021

Reserves

3 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£7.7 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 18% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

Data & confidence

Source
Charity Commission (E&W)
Accounts year
2021
Filing date
2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000
Profile reviewed
2026-06-24

High confidence — complete filing data

Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons require information beyond public filings.

Beacon report

Detailed accountability and finance metrics from Charity Commission filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report.

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

100/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES
Metric Score Value
Filing history (5 years)

100% on-time over five years = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more = 0 pts.

100% 15/15 pts
Trustee oversight

Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts · one or two = 0 pts (governance red flag).

100% 12 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies

Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return.

100% 10/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

83/100

Financial Health metrics for HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES
Metric Score Value
Reserves (months of cash)

3–24 months = 15 pts · 1–3 months = 7 pts · under 1 month or over 3 years (hoarding) = 0 pts.

100% 3 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth

Positive or stable three-year revenue trend = 10 pts · sustained decline = 0 pts.

100% 10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

Low debt (< 30% liabilities to assets) = 5 pts · high debt = 0 pts.

0% 33% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts.

100% 83% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

Spends ≤ £0.20 to raise £1 = 10 pts · £0.21–£0.35 = 5 pts · above £0.35 = 0 pts (fundraising cost ÷ income).

100% 13p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

50/100

Community Support metrics for HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts.

50% 765 volunteers / 910 staff · 5/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

90/100 total · Exceptional · 4 of 4 stars

Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
83/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
50/100
Community Support

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

100/100

Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts
Trustee oversight12 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

83/100

Reserves (months of cash)3 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets33% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

100/100

Program expense ratio83% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency13p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

50/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio765 volunteers / 910 staff · 5/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2021 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES revenue and expenses for 2021
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £33m
Total expenditure £54m
Charitable activities £46m 86%
Fundraising £7.5m 14%
Governance & admin £365k 1%
86%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2021) · £54m spent

  • Charitable activities86%
  • Fundraising14%
  • Governance1%

Trust indicators

Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.

  • Accounts filed on time

    up to date · last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    12 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    910 employees · 765 volunteers (1:1 volunteer-to-staff)

Fundraising Regulator

Status not yet checked

Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Check Fundraising Regulator →

Official register

Reg 1068852

Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • TIMOTHY AIDAN JOHN KNOX since 2018
  • Camilla Finlay since 2021
  • Lisa Jane Burger since 2022
  • General Sir Gordon Messenger since 2022
  • Sir Nicholas Coleridge Chair · since 2023
  • Jonathan Bewes since 2024
  • James Chalmers since 2025
  • Dan Jones since 2025
  • Dame Caroline Michel since 2025
  • Tom Harris since 2025
  • John Mothersole since 2025
  • Caroline Hope since 2026
How we score charities +

The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK Charity Commission data. Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.

Full methodology →

Accountability & Transparency

Scored from filings

40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15), declared policies (10).

Financial Health

Scored from filings

30 points — reserves (15), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5).

Financial Efficiency

Scored from filings

20 points — program expense ratio (10), fundraising efficiency (10). Kept at 20% to avoid punishing legitimate infrastructure costs.

Community Support

Scored from filings

10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data.

Overall score

Sum of all pillar points. Translated to stars: 90–100 Exceptional (4★), 75–89 Good (3★), 60–74 Needs improvement (2★), below 60 Poor (1★).

Five-year trends

£0k £34700k £69400k £104100k £138800k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £32,695k Spending 2021: £53,904k Cause spend 2021: £46,428k Income 2022: £54,445k Spending 2022: £61,296k Cause spend 2022: £52,828k Income 2023: £102,476k Spending 2023: £82,130k Cause spend 2023: £68,237k Income 2024: £134,386k Spending 2024: £90,891k Cause spend 2024: £73,586k Income 2025: £138,596k Spending 2025: £108,351k Cause spend 2025: £90,987k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
90/100 (4★)
Income
£33m
Cause spend
83% of expenditure
Reg number
1068852
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
3 months
Trustees
12
Accounts year
2021
Filing
up to date

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES's charity rating? +

HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES scores 90 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars — Exceptional). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from Charity Commission filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10).

Is HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1068852. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES's Charity Commission registration number? +

HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES's registration number is 1068852. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1068852

How much income does HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES receive? +

HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES reported £33m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 83% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 17% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 18%.

Are HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES's accounts up to date? +

Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.

Where is HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES based? +

HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES is listed at United Kingdom and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.

How does CharityCompare score HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES? +

We analyse Charity Commission annual accounts using three-year averages for program expense, fundraising efficiency, and overhead; working capital from reserves vs average expenditure; liabilities-to-assets from the latest balance sheet when available. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons are not yet assessed from public data alone. See our methodology for weights and thresholds.

Does CharityCompare recommend donating to HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES? +

No. CharityCompare provides independent scores and facts from official filings. We do not tell you where to donate or earn commission from charities.

How can I compare HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.