The history of the civil list dates from the reign of William and Mary in 18th century England. Before this, there had been no distinction between the expenses of government in time of peace and the personal expenses of the king. The civil list is the grant made by parliament for the monarch’s personal support, and for that of the royal household.
The custom of the Civil List dates to 1689, when Parliament, on the accession of William and Mary, voted £600,000 specifically for civil expenses. Through the first Civil List Act in 1697, revenues estimated to yield about £700,000 were assigned to the monarch to cover the royal expenses. The amount was to be used for the payment of government officials, and the up-keep of the royal house.
At first, the Civil List was revised from time to time. Later, during the reign of George I, the Civil List became a fixed sum, with Parliament paying any debts that were incurred. The Civil List assured a permanent income for the monarch- and at the same time, it ensured that a king could not rule without the help and support of the parliament.