The Cost of Keeping the Royals and their Jollies

I have been watching the latest jolly for William and Kate. Its being rammed down our throats on the tv news and of courser looks like the New Zealanders are loving them so much. I have family over there and they are sick of them. In fact none of them want to be part of the Commonwealth with the Qjueenie any way. Its funny how its always a close vote if people are asked about staying in the Commonwealth. I just wish us Brits could be asked cos my answer would be why should my taxes go to pay for the EU as well as a commonwealth - one but not both?

Naturally this little couple are delightful. She is especially attractive and he is so like his Mother. Its absolutly nothing against them personally, they appear very very happy and hopefully will continue that way throughout their lives.

But I am sick of the PR job being launched on the tv to promote the Royal Family. Lets face it, they don't pay for anything we have the cut-backs and many can't even think about a holiday let alone have one. Queenie was awarded £47,000,000 by her little cousin Cam without anyone in parlaiment batting an eyelid; yet the tax payers who keep this family in luxuries and the lightest workload -
if you call jollies and entertaining work, get nothing but a worse service every year. Her money goes up by leaps and bounds from the State, ours goes down.

Its not enough that we have to keep one Queen and oddball but we have another generation wafting around before we even get to William and Kates' and then, we go onto the old adage "An heir and a spare' for a fourth generation (spare till to come) and dfon't forget, all their entourage. Its simply too much. In fact William when one thinks about it as well as Harry should really be working all the other Royals from around the world do a second job to their Royal duties, but we have so many of them that the duties much have to be searched out desperately. It would be interesting to see their work diaries and to see what actual duties they do that benefit this country financially - as they do call themselves a 'firm'.

For this little trip to take place its obvious the tax payer has funded it. However, it costs considerably more simply because as Brits we are all forced to accept and fund the Commonwealth and all that money which takes a considerable amount of our aid bill, plus all the other costs it involves us in. It also serves to protect the Queen's foreign investments and gives the Royals no end of jollies as they are seen wafting around some village in Africa or riding their bikes down the sand dunes etc etc.

We have to put in a huge amount of tax payers money into the EU so why do we also have to have a Commonwealth. Its like running with the trade fox and hunting with the trade hounds. Time we go rid of the Commonwealth if we are to stay in Europe or got rid of Europe and stayed in the Commonwealth - in times of recession - despite what Osborne prattles about and his airy-fairy statistics, which don't include most of the necessities of life we all have to pay for, I am sick of seeing my tax money frittered on so much stuff that doesn't help the people of this country to improve their security and standard of living - child poverty here is worse now than in the 1950's/60's.

But...it's tradition.

Being American I kinda like the whole king and queen and prince and princess thing. Seems so fairy tale yet real. Now if we had that here or I were British I might get a bit jealous of them. Not like you can run for the office of prince in the next election.

I have heard though that the royal family brings in more money than they spend. Now that doesnt mean everything they spend couldnt be spent on the poor instead. Perhaps they should make a royal proclamation to live frugal for a year, maybe once every 5 years?

Shepard64
But...it's tradition.

And that's the end all argument. I travel to the UK twice a year, and I discuss this with the citizens on a constant basis. You'll get responses such as "Well we get it back in tourism" and such but when pushed and given hard numbers it always comes back to "Well that's our culture, our tradition"

It's something that's probably never going to stop unless something drastic happens. In the end, I'm sure England has more important things to worry about than their special royal family. It's a distraction for both sides of the aisle.

England spends way more money on other socialist programs than they ever spend on the royals, or their politicians for that matter. ( I say that because I know 1-2 years ago their was a huge push and outcry over the PM's there getting "so much" money and it should go to other programs like if that minuscule amount of money would even put a dent in the debt)

It's all a distraction

reply to post by Shiloh7

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

I don't see how any country puts up with royalty. The idea that some people are better than anyone else. Nonsense in my opinion.

Then again, us in the US put up with presidential vacations and shopping trips and all that other BS on the taxpayers dime.

I guess we're all just stupid peasants.

England can do what they want with their own country, of course. But I don't see why they put up with the financial drain. Side note - I hope the queen abdicates in favor of William and passes Charles over. Sorry, but I do think Charles screwed over Diana and I can't stand 'the other woman' Camella.

reply to post by Shiloh7

The royal family are nothing more than self appointed parasites.
The days of royalty need to come to an end. These people do nothing to advance the cause of humanity.
They are so irrelevant in today's world...when the majority of humanity lives in poverty and is being asked daily by TPTB to make more sacrifices, these people suck more and more life out of the world.
When I see people on TV worshipping these bottom feeders I actually feel physically ill.
Wake up America wake up Canada wake up UK wake up world.....don't let these people make you believe that they are special...because they are not.

reply to post by Shiloh7


Im with the OP. If they weren't publicized for everything then most people wouldn't care.
Tradition was always kind of a cop out, the royals aren't even English. It's a German line...

FlyersFan
England can do what they want with their own country, of course. But I don't see why they put up with the financial drain. Side note - I hope the queen abdicates in favor of William and passes Charles over. Sorry, but I do think Charles screwed over Diana and I can't stand 'the other woman' Camella.

Agreed. Chuck and Cam are coming across the pond to my neck of the woods next month and everyone in a tizzy about it. Not a fan,but planned to go just to say I have seen a royal.

reply to post by Shiloh7


At least NZ gets Wm and Kate while we in Canada HAVE to play host to the home-wrecking adulterous couple lying in wait for the throne.

They ask for the invitation and submit an itinerary while we the taxpayers get to pay *all* the incurred expenses including complete wardrobes and exorbitantly expensive security. It really adds up and although I am not against showing people hospitality, millions and billions spent by us just to see them lay a wreath, sign a guest book, and of course accept a souvenir gift from us is just patently ridiculous in this day and age when people are really going hungry in our neighborhoods. The more often they impose their royal carcasses on us the less I appreciate anything at all about them.

They have been trying to get us to appreciate our membership in the commonwealth as an obvious excuse, but really does anyone in our country really give a thought to that at all when our government's is so busy pleasing Obama and Israel?

I don't know the cost off the top of my head but it's not much. The vast majority of Brits are big fans of the Royals, especially the current crop. I'm no fan at all. Its weird the way our news reporters are so sycophantic about them all the time. Fawning over their every move. I find it all a bit embarrassing to watch the grovelling of certain royal reporters, whom the royal family have admitted they don't even like.

I'm sure some will be on soon to parrot these very same reporters to tell you how frugal the Queen is.

By default the profits from crown lands go to the state now (£200 million or so) and they get about 60 million which includes the upkeep of the palaces etc and 200 year old buildings don't come cheap to repair or maintain, i'd imagine a royal tour will bring boost in the economy as people make a day of it so the restaurants/pubs etc get more crowds so perhaps its actually cost effective to do royal tours ever so often? and anyway its probably cheaper to send our Queen away for a fortnight than it is to keep Obama in the whitehouse for a normal day

reply to post by yeahright


Ummm,only if you agree to take Justin Bieber too.

reply to post by AccessDenied

reply to post by Shiloh7



please tell us how much " the commonwealth " costs UK tax payers ?

It's ironic. They just couldn't handle having rich people in their midst. It was so unfair! Tax the rich! So WW II gave them the opportunity. Just after they passed an inheritance tax that the Chancellor of the Exchequer promised would "make their (the rich) pips squeak." (A "pip" is a diamond or dot-shaped element of a coat-of-arms.) The inheritance tax was so onerous that "the rich" had to sell off most of their property. They couldn't sell their big houses, so they were more or less forced to "give" them to the National Trust. Only a few of the big houses remain in private hands. The deal is, the generation giving and perhaps one more get to live in a portion of the house, then they are out. As a result most all the big houses are administered by the National Trust. And most all the big fortunes are gone.

But so is the British Empire. Along with getting rid of their rich, they also lost all their worldwide holdings. As an Empire all that is left is the English language. Is there a correlation? Their rich people are largely gone and their Empire is a shadow of its former self. Great Britain has turned into a welfare and surveillance state. But hey! Everybody is equal--equally poor.

And that inheritance tax? Due to inflation it's beginning to hit the average Brit. The people who dress in period costume and act as tour guides for the big houses are seeing their own "fortunes" (which can only be called modest by any standard) be gobbled up by the inheritance tax. It has "come downstairs" and is preying on the domestic help.

That's what happens with resentment. When you are intent on "taxing the rich" it doesn't make you more wealthy; it makes you more equally poor and dependent on the dole. Sooner or later it comes around to bite you in the butt.

About the only thing to do in Great Britain is visit the big houses of the formerly rich, and maybe see HMS Victory. There is no other industry to speak of, except tourism, including royalty. Tell me, please: Without the tourist industry in Great Britain, what would the economy even be in Great Britain? Why would people want to visit Britain? Certainly not for the food.

Obviously, if you are still griping about the royals, you still haven't learned your lesson and you deserve your fate because you know what? It isn't going to get any better for you.

I have never understood the fascination that Americans have with British royalty. But I don't understand why people are interested in our own celebrities either.

I bet I enjoy my simple life as much if not more than anyone else....
So....to each their own. I guess?

We are All "Royal" in the End, 'Royally Screwed'.

So therefore we have Crown to wash it down?
Yeah, I'd avoid that if you're on the rebound and getting off the ground.
But once you're sound? Have a round!

Shepard64
But...it's tradition.

But.... they are the most expensive welfare cases in the world, they do nothing, they contribute nothing but expense and they are famous for being famous. Plus, the inbreeding, lol, they could almost be on My Big Redneck Vacation.

Cheers - Dave