The Crown Estate, King Charles's property portfolio, charges the RNLI more than £60,000 a year in rent for the land and slipways it uses to launch its lifeboats around the coast of England and Wales. The arrangement has drawn criticism given the RNLI's status as a charity that relies entirely on public donations and volunteers to save lives at sea, with critics questioning why a royal estate profits from facilities used for lifesaving rescue operations.

The charges apply to numerous lifeboat stations that sit on Crown Estate land, with the cumulative annual bill exceeding £60,000. The Crown Estate manages property and coastline on behalf of the monarch, generating profits that are passed to the Treasury, part of which fund the Sovereign Grant supporting the Royal Family's official duties. The disclosure has reignited debate over the Crown Estate's commercial dealings with charitable and public bodies.