8% increase in Queen's allownace

Or be far too powerful politically.

No thanks

EmilyHarburn I totally agree with you and I'm sick of all the monarchy bashing. As far as I'm concerned they bring in far more money than they cost. I would hate to have a president. What would be the point of a Prime Minister and President? Surely a president would have no function?

I feel guilty now, should I be paying DD's rent?

The main family are an asset, they bring in all sort of revenue via tourism etc. And are useful on overseas trips selling brand U.K. Think the Queen is great. But do think the wider family should be made to stand on their own two feet.
Elegran's info was insteresting re the conversion of George's allowance to today's figures.
The Windsors is back on C4 on Friday. If you haven't seen it, it's a brilliant satire of the family.

Eugenie', of course.

Besides, Prince Andrew , pays £20,000 a year for Eugenia and Beatrice's Buck House apartment from his own pocket. Must be hard for someone on the rich list.

Only the Duke of Edinburgh receives any money from the Sovereign Grant now,presumably that will cease when he ceases duties in the autumn.
This Sovereign Grant is used to fund The Queen’s activities as Monarch, including the upkeep of royal residences, paying staff salaries and performing royal engagements. In addition to this, the Duke of Edinburgh is now the only member of the Royal Family to receive a parliamentary annuity – set at £359,000

All other members of the Royal Family’s engagements within the UK are funded by The Queen personally, from her personal income, from the Duchy of Lancaster (a privately owned estate). The Prince of Wales, meanwhile, is also funded from his own private estate (the Duchy of Cornwall) which is used to fund his domestic engagements, household and activities as well as those of his family (his wife, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry). Since 1993, The Queen and Prince of Wales have paid full income tax on their private income.

Work undertaken on behalf of the Government, such as overseas visits, are funded through special arrangements within the Sovereign Grant.

So there are a lot of myths flying around re funding, 'hangers-on' etc. In fact HM appears to be subsidising the royal duties from her own private income.

I am not quite sure which 'hangers-on' are being funded. I'm sure I read recently that Andrew wanted a 'royal role' for Bea and Eugenie to 'help' HM, but that Charles turned that idea down firmly.

Don't forget Marie Antoinette was royalty before the French revolution ....the peasants revolted at the extravagance of a monarchy and she went to the Guillotine .....not suggesting that QE II should go to the guillotine and I cannot hear her exhorting her government to tell the poor to eat cake !

In the sense of the poor back then it meant no food, no work, no money and death through what are now treatable illnesses ..not hi tech TV's, latest iPhones whatever .....

I just hope those workmen that are going to do the renovation (for that is what it is !) are not going to be on zero hours contracts and having to go to a food bank in order to eat whilst also being entitled to in work benefits which would make a mockery of the whole thing !

And to agree with others ...WHY is the UK taxpayer funding all these hangers on > Isn't it time they got themselves a job and paid their way ......and those younger front line royals stopped whinging and remember that the Queen had to take on a role of responsibility and devote the rest of her life to duty when she was only in her 20's ! Not a job I would want ...even if the lifestyle that goes with it would be nice ,,,would love to travel but all mine is done via the TV ! (saves queuing at airports I suppose !)

Why can't the palace repairs be paid for by opening to tourists all year round? As it is Chester zoo, Stonhenge to name a couple get far more tourists.

I still think we have a little of the class system left and I think the monarchy perpetuate it! No one should be looked up too or down too unless have gained respect or lost respect. Snobbery has held us back. Especially not valuing the workers!

Wrong thread (I wondered where the post went)

I did pick up a free one at the dentist yesterday, one of those 'County Life' magazines but haven't looked at it yet.

Would T R U M P be eligible after his success as POTUS? After all, his mother was Scottish.

Oh! God I am thick. Yes imagine. But I think there will be one sooner rather than later, I can't see this lasting for 5 years

Well, we'd have to have Another One!!

Election I mean
Poor Brenda, she will be beside herself
And lots of us would be pretty fed up with Another One too.

I would also like to add that I am an avid follower of what they all wear

jalima yes I've seen that, but not quite sure what you mean in this threads context?

Another election whitewave?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3PKE8uTSp8

I need my 65p far more than the queen does and that amount doesn't take into account the cost of security.

The Crown Estates pays money to the queen then the rest goes into the national coffers. Therefore the more the queen gets the less is in the coffers so in effect we are paying for the extra she's getting.

People come to see Windsor Castle, the Tower etc. because of the history not because of the Windsors. Tourists do not see the queen unless it's some special occasion but you can still see them outside all the palaces and castles every day regardless of whether the queen is in residence or not.

Buckingham Palace belongs to the people but we are charged to go into a small part of it and it's never open to the public when the queen is in residence.

Remember the austerity mantra, "We're all in this together." yet Phillip's trip to a dinner in Plymouth cost us over £18K. If we're truly all in this together then she needs to chip in for the repairs. According to the Times Rich List in 2015 she was worth about £340 million. That's her personal worth and doesn't include the money she gets from the civil list so I doubt chipping in will skint her.

Why should she? It's not her house.

As one of the richest people in the world, it's not as if she can afford to pay for the repairs herself. Poor thing.

I am sort of entirely on the fence about our monarchy.

I think that the Queen has done a reasonable job under the circumstances and her non political role is useful. However I do think this medieval institution is outdated.

Somehow a republic seems so much more grown up.

I don't understand the budgeting for repairs, or anything about where the money comes from, but its a sorry old state of affairs when the "haves" and "have nots" have such a huge, gaping cavern between them.

I don't begrudge the Queen a penny of it! I would MUCH rather have her as our Head of State than some idiot like Trump or, God forbid, Boris! Makes me feel ill to think of it.

Do you really think they would cost the country less? You must be dreaming if so, they would just fill their boots like the MPs do now with their expenses, not to mention recurring election costs. And I can't imagine anyone (sane) wanting to go and see where Boris or whoever lives, I certainly wouldn't.