Royal family or a president?

Okay so maybe private / exclusive resorts .... and the odd Island ?

And yachts!

Mind you, that wouldn't change if we had a president. Didn't Tony Blair avail himself of various villas?

Margaret was given a 10 acre plot on Mustique as a wedding present on which to build an obscenely opulent villa ( rents out at £27000 per week now). Who lives in lala land?

TB was head of government when he did that ( not that he should have availed himself of anything from Berlusconi of course).

I read that they are returning presents as they stated previously that they did not want any, only charity donations. Give them credit - its not their fault of people shower them with gifts.

Will M give back the £1+ Million worth of jewellery she was given as wedding gifts ? I doubt it ? What about the 21 room apartment “ gifted” to them by granny ? Will they donate that to charity too ?

Now the Thames Valley police are asking for more tax payers money to provide 24/7 security for their Oxfordshire 4000 acre country estate!
Like why ?????? This makes me sick!

They are returning presents I believe that the firms who gifted them could benefit from commercially . As for the extra police costs for their Cotwold hideaway - why why why why why - just give me one good reason why we should foot the bill? But there isn’t one is there? Not. One. Good, Reason. The RF must roll in the aisles at the suckers they take us for.

I believe we actually pay a minute amount in tax to support the royal family. I can’t say I’ve gone into the amounts in detail because it isn't important enough to occupy my time.

So, they are richer than we are. So what? So are numerous dodgy financiers and worthless pop stars and ‘celebrities’. As I said earlier, the RF are quite a long way down the list of the richest people in the country. I don’t understand why some people get so worked up about it.

I agree with Gran70's. However the disadvantage of having a thriving royal family with inherited privileges is that their thriving presence supports inherited privilege.

Inherited privilege is contrary to the normal British value of meritocracy. Me, I believe that the anomaly of the monarchy is worth keeping.

There is always an elite in any society and that always will be the case. The Windsors know well that if they want to keep themselves at the top of society they have to justify their privileges. This they do pretty well ever since George VI, and Elizabeth II has been outststandingly professional and a benefit to our nation. The Royal family cannot retain their professional mystique without their marvellous horses and costumery and by putting on a tremendous show every now and then.

I for one do not want to pay for extra security for H&M’s country hideaway and nor should I be required to . If they want a rolling estate as well as the 21 roomed apartment (gifted to them by granny) they should pay for their own security staff !

What 21 room apartment and what estate in Oxfordshire? I missed these

why why why why why - just give me one good reason why we should foot the bill?
How much does it cost to police football matches, sporting events, visiting Heads of State etc etc.
I dislike football (should I start a thread for the abolition of football ) but I do understand that security is needed, paid for by the taxpayer.

Much of the security costs of the Royal Wedding went on security for the crowds who went to watch.

Just googled the properties, they will rent a house on an estate in Oxfordshire and are still living in a house in KP, where is the 22 roomed property and what has the queen given them ? I hope they stay in KP , same security as always been.

No argument from me for football etc paying more than they do for policing costs - they can afford it. Such whataboutery however does not justify the security costs for a country pad for two over privileged over entitled people in their 30s. Your comment about the police costs for head of state visits is just silly so not worth replying to. The RW is a done deal now but the costs for the country pad are recurring - why should we pay? Oh wait, there is so much money in the public purse we hardly know what to do with it.

They are moving into a 21 roomed apartment in KP at present apparently been refurbished by the taxpayer

Football teams pay massive bills for their own security within a certain distance of the grounds.

Man Utd alone pay on average £925k for police around their ground .

Who owns KP ?

If moving into an apartment in KP no extra security ,

Tony Blair's police protection costs taxpayers millions, report claims
Former prime minister also allgedly mixes official envoy role and private business, says Daily Telegraph investigation

Apparently you don't even to have to be a President, Head of State or even do a useful job to qualify for tax-payer security!

tax-payer paid security

All ex PM’s have security

Oh such whataboutery

gilly yes I agree the football clubs do pay for policing on their footprint - so why can’t these two at least pay something towards the costs - they could ask granny

ab I was asking about the costs for the country pad, not KP

and many ex-ministers.
the football clubs don't pay the total bill.

The Royal Family costs each taxpayer about 62p per annum. A proportion of that will go to repairing neglected premises such as Buckingham Palace.
I don't mind paying that much; HM is certainly good value for money.