The transparency law of the Spanish Crown has shown that King Felipe and Queen Letizia haven't lied. Several media outlets have echoed the expense of two million euros that the royals allegedly spent on a recording studio. However, the evidence proves the opposite and confirms that the expense has been much lower.
The transparency portal of the Royal Household explains in detail the expense made for the Zarzuela recording studio. As can be seen, the final amount comes to almost €200,000. This figure is far from the two million that were initially rumored.
It is confirmed that King Felipe and Queen Letizia don't lie
When King Felipe and Queen Letizia ascended to the throne, they set as their goal to completely reform the institution. Part of that reform involves offering a clear and detailed view of the Royal Family's accounts.
Thanks to this initiative, it has been possible to prove that King Felipe and Queen Letizia don't lie about the expense of the recording studio. A few days ago, several media outlets claimed that installing this equipment in Zarzuela cost two million euros. This scandalously high figure shocked more than one person.
However, the reality is very different. It's enough to access the transparency portal of the Royal Household to check that the real expense doesn't match what was published in the media. According to the portal, the Zarzuela recording studio cost almost €200,000, to be more exact €171,912.89.
Experts in this type of installation state that this figure provided by King Felipe and Letizia is within the normal range. The same can't be said for the two million euros mentioned at first, which far exceeded this type of work.
Therefore, it is proven with evidence that King Felipe and Queen Letizia don't lie about the total cost of the controversial studio.
The other expenses of King Felipe and Queen Letizia
As every year, Zarzuela made the Royal Family's accounts public to all citizens. This exercise in transparency wasn't free from controversy. The first thing discussed was that Royal Household was in the red, something that the institution clarified and denied.
Soon after, it was the turn of the controversial recording studio from which King Felipe and Queen Letizia broadcast their official videos. It was said that more than two million euros came from the reserve fund for its installation and update. This information has been completely disproved.
But how much more does it cost us to keep the Royal Family? King Felipe decided to completely freeze his salary and Queen Letizia's, following the budget extension in force for much of this year. The total frozen budget for 2025 stands at more than eight million, unchanged since 2021.
The respective salaries of the king, the queen, and the emerita total €554,714, distributed in frozen salaries proportional to their institutional roles. Felipe received €277,361.76, Queen Letizia €152,539.92, and the emerita queen €124,814.76, the same as in previous years. In contrast, Leonor and Infanta Sofía don't receive any remuneration, since their institutional functions don't yet generate economic allocation.
The accounts reflect careful internal planning that allows the designated funds and available reserves to be maximized. As is shown in the installation of the recording equipment, whose total price is within the standards for this type of work.