Rule Britannia! The Queen owns the seabed.

But why are they being heated when she isn't in residence? It's partly so people can go look around them!

I don't see the problem with asking for a grant any other public attraction would be entitled to? She didn't ask for it for her private residences, did she? At least I don't see Sandringham being mentioned.

See this link

"The Queen asked ministers for a poverty handout to help heat her palaces but was rebuffed because they feared it would be a public relations disaster, documents disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act reveal."

"Aides complained to ministers in 2004 that the Queen's gas and electricity bills, which had increased by 50 per cent that year, stood at more than £1m a year and had become "untenable".

The Royal Household also complained that the £15m government grant to maintain the Queen's palaces was inadequate.

In search of more money-saving schemes, the Queen's deputy treasurer wrote to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to ask whether the Royal Household would be eligible for a grant to replace four combined heat and power (CHP) units at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

He asked: "Community Energy can fund up to 40 per cent of the capital costs of implementing a community heating scheme... Since we are already grant-in-aid funded [the Queen receives £15m a year for the upkeep of her palaces] we would like to know whether the Household [would] be able to benefit from these grants. I look forward to your comments." "

Hilarious.

My heart is breaking for them.

And loving the queen.

Tell a lie, we don't now live in the same country as Northern Ireland is now part of Great Britain.

The hereditary principle is not fair or democratic but simply a traditional & historical way of appointing a head of state. Unlike an elected President, our Queen has zero power whatsoever. So it almost doesn't matter who does the job or what their opinions are, because they can't make any material difference to the day-to-day running of the country or anyone's lives as a result. Elect a President and they'd actually want to do something... change things. We've got a PM for that.

The privilege, the wealth and the lavish lifestyle come at a price, I'd suggest. They're not free to act as they wish.. everything's done by restrictive protocol from birth to death. Some of them turn to drink, go nuts, get divorced... the Queen must be made of stern stuff to survive it this long.

Chili. Orangemen? how dare you! My father was Irish, from the the Republic of Ireland! and a Catholic! We have not much in common with Orangemen, apart from living in the same country!

THE. Unfortunately for you, you're not mine, but then hey, ho, we can't all be popular. .

Chili. I didn't say that 'persecution only happens under a republican system'.

I find it staggering, absolutely staggering, that in the 21st century anyone can defend the hereditary principle .

And as others have pointed out, President Blair, President Mandelson, President Branson, et al could all be voted out if we didn't like them.

That's kind of the point of a democracy.

But being a monarchist because you have Irish roots?.... I know the Orangemen are a little obsessed with all things royal but they're hardly typical.

Chili. I was talking about Cromwells persecution of the Irish. I'm aware of other genocides.

Even if Cromwell had not slaughtered us in the tens of thousands I would still be a Monarchist. I feel the Queen stands for much of what this country has lost.

I told you you were my new favourite poster, complimentary

@complimentary... I think, if you're claiming your royalist leanings on being half-Irish or that slavery and persecution only happen under a republican system you should check that your skates have water-wings.... you're on extremely thin ice.

THE. do excuse my ignorance what's an ARF?
If it a guffaw or something like that. Anways back to the Queen, the last time this country got rid of the Monarchy, Oliver Cromwell killed over 30 thousand Irish, sent 55.000 to Barbados as slaves and 2000 Irish boys and girls to Jaimaca as slaves, perhaps being half Irish is why I'm so fond of our dear old Queen!

BTW... anyone remember seeing the documentary of the Queen's visit to the USA a few years ago? For a nation that was really pleased to see the back of the British monarchy they rolled out wall-to-wall obsequiousness much better than anything I'd ever seen before or since!

You can see the outside of Windsor Castle or Buck House for free if you're in the area :) Practially speaking, if they dropped admission charges for UK residents then the Exchequer would be down a fair few million and we'd still be paying out for storage, security and conservation work. In the meantime, there are some very good websites if you want to see what you're missing....

Arf at that being a rumble

THE. I have nothing in common with any other poster and that includes mycounty. I'm not PC at all, and she/he probably is! If you've read my posts I don't give a shite! I've nothing in common with you either (hopefully)

I beleive in 'free speech' unlike the PC versions on many of these threads. Where people are hunted relentlessly for having other opinions that are not in keeping with others views.

No I believe in total free speech, so if you have any juicy retort bring it on!

I just love a good rumble, don't you?

"How come we cant see it?"

Windsor Castle? Buckingham Palace? Hampton Court? Crown Jewels?... Not every artefact is out on display 100% of the time but anyone with a valid ticket is entitled to have a look.

'As well as hosting royal banquets and receptions, Britannia was an ambassador for British business, promoting trade and industry around the globe. Indeed the Overseas Trade Board estimates that £3 billion has been made for the Exchequer as a result of commercial days on Britannia between 1991 and 1995.'

See above. I think the 3 or 4 engagements the Queen does per day (given her age) is good going.

There's quite an important distinction between what belongs to Liz-the-person and what belongs to Liz-the-wearer-of-the-Crown. She personally can't got selling stuff off as she personally doesn't own that much of it.

It would be interesting to see what she can leave as personal bequests in her will.

Scaryteacher, please can you quantify the "immense" trade attracted by the existence of the royal yacht, balanced by its running costs the expense of holding these parties?

Yes, they do a little for a few charites - they couldn't be seen to be living a hedonistic lifestyle the whole time, could they - but making speeches (written by their staff) and opening mini curtains to reveal plaques is not a bloody job!

It's not a vast personal collection in the sense that she could flog the 'fucking soup bowl' on E-Bay for her own gain... any more than we could sell off the contents of the British Museum or the National Portrait Gallery.

It's upsetting if someone is at the end of their tether looking after a disabled child but that sounds like the local care systems & broader society are failing that family rather than it being purely a money matter.