…to suggest that it’s time the Royal family stands on its own feet and stops taking money from the public purse?

No they don't. Even Charles gave William a kick up the bum for doing so little, especially when he was over loaded with work and going through cancer treatment. Their "platforming" is mediocre and wishy washy to say the best. It's basically regurgitating things that better informed people have already said and most of us already know. And they don't exactly dedicate themselves to it, other than the odd interview or video. I'm sorry, but you are quite out of touch (rather like the people you're defending) if you think K & W are terribly popular. At best they are viewed with indifference.

Yes, yes it is, particularly when you consider how sorely needed that money is elsewhere. It is gross that we are wasting it each year on this parasitic family. Plus they are now bringing the country into disrepute via their lack of transparency and seedy behaviour

I've often wondered about those who say Buck House brings in the tourists. Does that mean that every tourist visiting London expects to see the King, Queen and/or other members of the RF waving to them from the balcony 24/7 😂

None of them live there anyway, so I wonder what that point means? RF don't have to be there, live there, or even be alive for Buck House to be a tourist attraction.

The crown estates including the duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster do not belong to the royal family. They belong to the crown which is part of the state, in the same way they don't own the crown jewels. The royal family are disgracefully secretive about their finances, they genuinely think we have no right to know about them despite being head of state. All wills are public documents except those of the royal family. We need more transparency in the dealings.

What’s confused you? What have I said that isn’t accurate?

My understanding is that the Crown surrendered the revenues from the Crown Estates to the public purse, and the civil list is funded from this. I don’t know what the position is now, but I do remember learning that the Crown Estates income more than covered the costs of the civil list, @HappyGalentines.

I want my 1.29 back please. Those who love the RF can pay my share and/or get a crowdfunder going. Suspect people will not be so keen on that

Exactly this, what baffles me is how many of the peasants like this system!

Off with their heads ?

They roll out the royal family to schmooze world leaders to give the Uk deals and more favourable terms

Did it help with Brexit?

Between them and the house of lords and rich titled asset owners who can pass half of London from father to son without any inheritance tax we will be for ever stuck a post Victorian mind set in this country. We can't truly modernise and make use of our phenomenal human capital when we are locked into ancient structures that keep progress at bay due to vested interests.....

Lazy Kate and Will no way do we get value for money.
Don't pay full tax, inheritance tax etc etc etc, not good value at all. We spend more on them than they bring in. One of Kate's dresses alone could feed a family for a month...... shocking

This is an utterly discredited figure. From ‘The Week’, July 2025.

What does it cost the UK taxpayer?
The Sovereign Grant costs about £1.29 per UK citizen, said the Royal Household, but the taxpayer foots many other bills. Security costs, which are paid for by the government, are not disclosed – guesses range from a few million to £100 million a year. There is also the cost of policing royal events.
The coronation of King Charles, for example, cost taxpayers £72 million, the government revealed last November. There are indirect costs, too, such as the royal family's exemption from inheritance tax.
The grant will be £132 million in 2025/26 – a 53% increase – thanks to that massive increase in profits from the Crown Estate.

They own the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster which are theirs. Yes there is the Crown Estate but where it all ends/begins seems v.opaque. No IHT for the heir to the throne. Who owns/pays for what?

The Duke of Westminster's estate bore no Inheritance tax presumably because it was all placed in a Discretionary Trust. Same with the RF estates I reckon. That option is open to anyone. The tax crystallises when the trustees appoint to a beneficiary and that could be years hence.

I'm not defending the RF here, let me be clear. What is an abomination is the fact that their wills are sealed whereas the peasants are not allowed to do that. Therefore all mistresses, out of wedlock children, blackmail debts, ha ha you name it can be hidden forever, together with the net value of said estates.

The Duke of Westminster's will is available if you pay to have a copy sent to you. Can't do that for any of the RF.

Make your point directly to what I have said that isn’t accurate so I can address it properly.

Until the government can spend the money it has properly, I don’t want them to have another penny quite frankly . If we abolished the royal family and took that money, it wouldn’t be spent on anything ‘better’, it would just end up in the general tax pot and I bet we don’t see any more teachers/ policemen etc.

The royal family costs £1.29 per person per year. Is that really that bad?

@BananaPeels does the above include security? The money lost because of no IHT?

They could do with restructuring their income. The Duchy of Cornwall brings in £23mil a year, that alone could easily support all of them in fine style.

The country could certainly do with the revenue from liquidating a lot of their assets.

@UnhappyHobbit say what? How can anything you have posted be said with certainty?

An individual level it’s a small amount, but collectively it’s huge and there are so many better ways that money could be spent.

They are all very wealthy people, they can fund themselves.

What this whole sordid story shows is how feudal our system still with, even with a constitutional monarchy. The RF don’t pay income tax, inheritance tax, have their lives nevertheless funded by the taxpayer and then you get someone like Andrew and Ferguson who thoroughly abuse those privileges

Exactly, it’s the wrong message before you even get to A & F.

but what is "private" money. They'll claim enough of state properties that even cutting them off officially wouldn't make an inch of difference.

Properties, land etc.. only become "public" when they need work done or to avoid paying tax on them.

They made damn sure normal rules don't apply, have you checked how the estate of the Duke of Westminster was handled when he died? No inheritance tax there 😂

I'd prefer that to go to the NHS, police and education