Speedwell

Think of them as the country's top marketing executives.

Lion in Winter

I would say core product, more than executive.

Speedwell

Point well made.

Bluegrass Lass

I really don't get the big deal over it, but then I'm not a a royal fanatic like some are. I say leave them all in peace so she can get through the pregnancy with the least stress possible..just like any other woman.

tuxedocat

I'm sure his job in search and rescue doesn't provide the type of lifestyle they live. It seems like they are constantly on vacation and I saw once she goes to the salon at least twice a week? How many of his peers in the military (or the organization he serves in) at the same level can live that type of lifestyle? How many could even get off work that much never mind spend that much on vacations? I know people get more vacation time over there but I'm sure they are making tons of special allowances.

yellowroom

I think you need to differentiate between "the lifestyle they live" in Anglesey which I'm pretty sure is nearer to the lifestyle the other officers live, and the official duties they perform as Duke and Duchess, which are entirely funded by the Duchy of Cornwall (ie his father's private income). Also, his mum left him a bit of money in her will which I expect goes to funding things like vacations, so again, not "leaching off the back of us". Time off RAF duties to do Royal duties? Take that up with the RAF, I'm sure they've got it worked out. As for salon visits, I don't subscribe to all the breathless Hello type coverage of the Royals but I'm pretty sure if she didn't turn out looking immaculately groomed there would be some pretty nasty things said about letting the side down. She's damned if she does, damned if she doesn't.

If you wanted to debate something along the lines of "the UK (or Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc) should be a forward looking, modern democracy and I do not think a hereditary monarchy is the best model for Head of State" then that is a debate I could sign up to.

However, the hysterical "they're leaching off us" is not only eye-rollingly counter-productive to rational discussion but factually it is grossly inaccurate.

Lion in Winter

The crown estate revenue goes to the Treasury. The monarch gets 15% of that back a year. I believe that works out to about 20 quid per capita per year for us commoners - not that onerous really. The rest of her stuff is funded by her private wealth, same as any other rich person. Could the money be spent on something else? Of course it could - but so could that of every other wealthy person. So the question becomes "what is the constitutional role of the monarchy worth to us?"

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/leg_so...overeign_Grant

yellowroom

Exactly.

And do you know, from that 15%, the monarch doesn't actually take a salary or allowance. The money goes entirely on financing the business of Head of State - buildings, staff, functions, travel etc.

In fact, the Queen actually pays for the expenses of some of the minor Royals to do their public duties *out of her own money*, it doesn't come from the Civil List moneys.

Who is subsidising who?

Lion in Winter

Plus there are all the tea towels.

kimilseung

Not enough people appreciate that it was all gained through hard labour, in fact he worked at the face in the duchy mines.

kimilseung

Most of the private money came from where? most monarchs are descended from what can be described as mafia organizations, there is no 'private money' here, just different branches of upward money mobility.

christmasoompa

They do live a privileged life of wealth, but I wouldn't swap my life for theirs for all the money and palaces in the world.

I can't imagine how hard it must be to grow up and not be able to live like a normal child ('what do you want to be when you grow up?'........'well tough, you can't, you must live a life of public service'), having your every move scrutinised, not being able to do what you want when you want, and working hard until death with no prospect of retirement (how old is Prince Philip now?!), etc.

All of that in exchange for luxury holidays? Not for me thanks, they're welcome to it!

yellowroom

I don't know what you mean by this. There are audited annual accounts of the "public" money on the Queen's website. Everything else is her own that she would take with her if we turned around and asked her to retire on 1st Jan and be plain old Mrs Windsor, including Windsor Castle, Sandringham and Balmoral. I imagine the rest is in the form of inherited investments and land/property, like the Duke of Westminster and others.

What would happen to the Crown properties, like the Crown Estates, Buckingham Palace, Palace of Holyrood House I'm not sure, and the Duchy of Cornwall estates funding the Prince of Wales. Presumably in this revolution the "people" will be hanging on to them to fund whatever replaces the Head of State.

kimilseung

What I mean, is that the present incumbents at Buckingham Palace trace their lineage to long lines of Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein and beyond aristocracy. Royalty and aristocracy that was not in the habit of gaining their living from 8 hours 5 days a week on the local building site. It was traditionally earned from raising money layer by layer up the social scale, and if you did not pay, the layer above would have you killed. Present private money can not be viewed without consideration how this money was acquired over time.

I am aware of the purpose of this thread and perhaps this is not the thread for royalty bashing

yellowroom

Ah, I see. So it's not the private wealth of the Queen per se, it is the legitimacy of the inherited wealth of aristocracy that you object to? Because their ancestors were the Gates, Jobs, Murdochs, Romneys etc of their day hundreds of years ago?

I'm afraid I'm a bit simplistic when it comes to the bank balances of other people. In general it is none of my business. As a society, we can legitimately check if it is obtained legally and whether any taxes are due on it. that's it. What else are you going to do?