8% increase in Queen's allownace

Thats why I used the word contempt - because that is exactly what it is.

And we pay for security for them too

Good point Rigby. I think that idiot Trump has made the title of president toxic, but I digress!I am astonished at just how much money this government has found in an old handbag/under the sofa cushions. We have been told for 8 years that this is a period of austerity, we must all pull our belts in, all for the common good...yaddah, yaddah, yaddah.....and now they have found squillions to bribe the DUP and to embelish the Royal Family. So, if the austerity statement was right, does it mean we are going to have to pull our belts in even tighter? Or was the whole thing a pack of lies used to push the Tory model of the economy,,,,hmm, let me think. I look forward to the Daily Mail tying itself in knots trying to justify this. I feel offended that government think I am so stupid that I will just accept this.

Even excluding banqueting, state rooms, etc they could all easily fit into Buckingham Palace. After all, each family also has country residences here and there.

She's not going to move out whilst the work is being done - how nice for her (apart from all her usual sojourns to Windsor, Sandringham, Balmoral etc of course)

Andrew and his ex wife live in a house in Windsor Castle grounds, Andrews daughters live in apartments in St James Palace, William and family live in KP, Harry also has an apartment in KP, Charles and Camilla live in Clarence House
Anne and Princess Alexander have apartments in St.James Palace

The Kents and Gloucester's live in KP too.

Plus children and partners of the above

The irony.

Buckingham Palace is housing stock as it belongs to the state.

Untold millions for one person.

Fire risk for untold 100s of thousands. And shoddy housing.

Anyone who asks those questions will be deemed to be an enemy of the state and unpatriotic . And Gill whats wrong with the Ireland or Germany model of a president who is just a head of state? Not that it will ever happen of course but I find generally that people often conflate the USA model of presidency with the type of president who is just HoS without being head of the government as well.

If , as is reported, a fair chunk of this money is to pay for very overdue repairs and updating of Buckingham Palace, surely questions should be asked as to why it has been allowed to get into such a state in the first place? Who was looking after the maintenance programme? I have no beef with the Queen herself, and can see the argument for having her as head of state rather than a president, but there needs to be some serious pruning of the list. Andrew's daughters could earn their own money and pay their own rent for a start.

The contempt we are treated with knows no bounds.

How nice for her. I'd hate to think she was going without in any way.

There appears to be a magic money tree for some. Before anyone says it's from the Crown Estates and she doesn't get all the money they raise lets remember that the money that doesn't go to her goes into the national coffers. The more she gets the less is available for other things we hold dear like the NHS, education and pensions.

None whatsoever apparently.

The rich and powerful continue on their merry way, using the poor as stepping stones.