General Chat

~~Have watched various news items today, and the prominent subject is regarding the state of Buckigham palace requiring attention...Should we as a nation fork out for this?...(The arguement being that Buckingham palace is a commodity..and brings tourism to country)...

Looks like the credit crunch has hit the Royals too!

Are we to pay?....~~pray tell....

The Queen has no control over where she lives, the palace comes with the job, so how can she be expected to pay for everything herself?

When the Prime Minister and his team start paying for repairs and alterations to no 10 and 11 Downing Street and Chequers out of their wages, then I will say the Queen should pay for her own repairs:))

The queen is the head of state - we live in a constitutional monarchy - so unless we re-write everything to do with the countries governance, then the answer has to be a YES.

Of course, the argument that she should have to pay for it herself has some merit as well. If she stood down and we had a president elected, then she would have to pay for everything herself.

The we would only have to pay for a president :-)

~~Few facts...I have googled!
J.K Rowling is richer than the queen..£280 million fortune.
The Royals spend;-
1.1. million hospitality
2.2 million Helicopters
8.8 million salaries for staff
1.1 million catering garden parties
She is 19th ranking as richest woman..with a 1.9 billion fortune

I think maybe half half personally at least..~~

How much of that expenditure is from the public purse and how much out of her own pocket....?

...thats from the treasury is it not?..her budget..I think

she has a 37 million pound budget a yr...she has attmpted to make cutbacks, from what I have read..but her hubby has just been reported to have spent £9,000 on a helicopter trip..now that is too extravagant!

~~~I wouldnt mind £1.1..million to hold garden parties!lol..

~~~mind you..I do have to point out..those figures were from 2000!..~~

Found this by googling.........

"The £36.7m paid to the Queen in 2006/07 was to cover hers and Prince Philips expenses.The remainder of the Royal Family are paid by The Queen with the exception of Prince Charles who earns his own income from the Duchy of Cornwall.
Her Majesty actually paid the Treasury £190.8m in 2006/07 from the income from the Crown Estates, so she is returning nearly 75% to the Treasury."

Buckingham Palace is owned by the country, so in theory'A council House, so the country must pay for its repairs.
But if its a Counsil House, should not the peaole living there be paying rent? if the occupents are on the bread line, they may get help with theier rant.
but someone who has privet monies, worth 36 million, are hardly down and out.

Is it? Well, opinions vary. And most people like to adopt the 'the money could pay for this and that and the other....' but there is a lot more to it than that.

But even if he did spend £9,000 on a helicopter trip, that is not a problem to me, it certainly isn't a lot of money for a helicopter trip! It couldn't have been a very long one for that amount.

Think how much a president would cost......

I see lots of anti monarchy sentiments expressed, niot just on here but all over.

I have never, however, heard of a credible alternative....and so few people look at how the monarchy sits within our government and law making process - the whole consitution depends on her.

Why should she pay for anything at all? If the country wants her as head of state, should we not pay for absolutely everything and let nothing come out of her own pocket....?

Buck House,didnt become a Royal Home till 1837 to Queen Vic,and was then sanctioned by the govenment to be the home of then and future Kings/Queens,..so ineffect it belongs to the people of this nation,we through Taxes pay for it,

Is it ours for prosperity or belong to the Royals,,,they are only the custodians,,

Buckingham House was just that,,a house in 1703,,and was bought later by George 111 but he never used it a a Palace it was his London home,added additons turned it to what its known by today,,a Palace,,,


Mind such a pity she cant budget and manage on less than..

40milin - 52==est£769 K per week,,,,,,

wonder y.................my post before yours says how much "rent" the Queen paid in 2006/7.

I said yesterday I would hate to have a president as politicians will always treat our taxes as their own private piggy banks.

~~ very good point Kay..I suppose when you put it like that...The taxpayers should pay..
I think with the financial issues we have at the moment in this country regarding `the credit crunch`..and people having financial difficulties..the repairs are a drop in the ocean for the queen..taking into account her personal fortune..which..is in the billions..~~

~~£9,000 though Elderick is a years wage for someone whom is on the minimum wage...~~

How is her personal fortune calculated?

Is she not asset rich and cash poor? Lets not forget that she does pay an awful lot out of her own pocket in any case.

Perhaps if she were to start paying for everything herself then levying a charge for her time and trouble when performing state visits, meeting heads of state, opening hospitals or whatever, in other words generating her own income....is that food for thought....?

She could sell Buck House and go to live at Balmoral then, which I am sure she would prefer! And pick and choose who she met and who she was nice to.

3 or 4 appearances a year would be all that was needed to keep the wolf from the door!

:-)

Elderick..are you aware that the queen has bought a drive through Mcdonalds?..lol

I don't see your reasoning in comparing a helicopter trip to a years wage.....

I spent £21,000 on a new car - that would be 2 years wages for someone.....

I spend £600 on an air fare to Africa - thats a months pay for some people....

Should I not be doing this....?

But her est Millions lots have been Inherited,nit just whats been scammed away from her allowances this Gov,seem fit she needs,

I am not a Royalist,by the way,


All the Queen owns in Buck House is her own personal belongings and its family inherited contents,,,this country owns the Palace,