AIBU to think Harry and Meghan are taking the piss?

[ohymygodbethenny]

How are people not more outraged? And no, tourists do not visit the UK specifically because of the royal family.

"This year, 320,000 people were recorded as homeless in Britain"

And what is the crown estate?

Oh god.

Google is your friend. But I've done the hard work for you...

What is the Crown Estate?

An independent commercial property business and one of the largest property portfolios in the UK
The majority of assets are in London, but the estate also owns property in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Holdings include Windsor Great Park and Ascot racecourse, but most of the portfolio is made up of residential property, commercial offices, shops, businesses and retail parks
Managed by an independent organisation, with any profit paid to the Treasury for the benefit of all UK taxpayers
Dates back from the time of the Norman Conquest
Has been managed on behalf of the government since 1760 when George III handed over its running in return for an annual payment
Funds the Sovereign Grant which supports the official duties of the Queen and maintains the occupied royal palaces

(www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48746609)

Also see www.royal.uk/royal-finances-0

I think we need to prioritise the homeless over the Royal Family

The Crown Estate is NOT owned by the monarch - see above.

^How much does the royal family cost the taxpayer?
The royal family cost each British taxpayer 69 pence last year (up 4 pence compared to last year), with courtiers insisting the royal family is “excellent value for money.”28 Jun 2018^

I really can't get my knickers in a knot over this. I think the Royal Family have some value to the country. How much is open to debate.

I think people are conflating two separate issues here though. The fact that people are suffering and going without has nothing to do with how much of the Queen's fixed budget is spent on maintenance of property. If it hadn't been spent there it would have been spent elsewhere and not put back into the government coffers.

If you are looking for someone to blame for poverty and lack of spending where it is needed then you need to be looking at the Tories and their austerity dogma. The idea of the "undeserving poor" Nothing to do with H & M.

10cygnets and who owns the crown estates then 😂

Scroll up about three posts, Ivykate. Or, yes, try Google.

Mummy2017

So, Liz has a duality. She is a person who owns Sandringham & Balmoral - landed gentry type.

She is also the Monarch. The monarch wears The Crown...literally and figuratively. The Crown is another word for the state.

The state is our society - us, our government, our laws, our everything. The Monarch is the embodiment of that. The Monarch doesn’t have to abide by the law - s/he IS the law.

The Crown Estate belongs to the Monarch. The Monarch IS the state. Therefore, it is ultimately owned by the state. Which is us.

If Sandringham burned down, Liz would have to arrange the rebuilding herself as it’s hers. If Buckingham Palace does, we have to sort it out because we (ultimately) own it. Same with Windsor.

The Crown Estate belongs to the reigning monarch 'in right of The Crown', that is, it is owned by the monarch for the duration of their reign, by virtue of their accession to the throne.

Oh you’re right google gives the answer above

The queen owns the crown estates who own Buckingham palace and Frogmore house

Ivykate

FFS.

The Queen could sell Sandringham to an Arab billionaire if she wanted.

She could not sell him Buckingham Palace.

When you figure out why then all your questions will be answered.

this ' they only cost us 2p ' ( or insert which ever figure is dreamt up each year) is rolled out all the time. Along with tourism and the Queen paying tax ( they didn't pay tax for many many years till she changed the laws about it all)
It's all done to stop us worrying about the real problems this country is up against I think. Distraction techniques.

Coffee ffs the queen isn’t going to sell sandringham, your slitting hairs

personally I love the Royal family and feel they are important to the UK and at least there is complete openness about how the money is spent ( unlike some NHS trusts ) by only gripe has been when Meghan was not present to see Trump but 48 hours later was fine to appear elsewhere . She is now representing our country ( like it or lump it ) . The queen may not have liked Trump but she put on a truly great show of what our hospitality can be like , in keeping of the rememberance visit that it was . I just don't know where the queen gets her stamina from she is amazing . And actually there were figures of the income the Royal family generate as well.

Ivkkate

I am starting to feel embarrassed for you. This is not difficult to understand.

No, she won’t sell Sandringham. But she COULD if she wanted to. Because SHE OWNS IT.

She CANNOT sell Buckingham Palace BECAUSE SHE DOES NOT OWN IT.

Jeez.

Jeez you really do like splitting hairs don’t you

The Crown Estate belongs to the reigning monarch 'in right of The Crown'

Do you understand how this is totally and categorically different to saying ‘The Crown estate belongs to Elizabeth Windsor’?

Why don't they donate ONE property of their 50+ properties to a homeless charity. Thousands of people would have a roof over their head. Instead of going to talk to homeless charities.... "I am going to raise awareness that you are homeless, meanwhile I have 50 mansions myself". It is cruel.

you really do like splitting hairs don’t you

You can call it splitting hairs if you want. It’s very far from that.

If I were the queen I’d be damn interested in what bits of the estate I currently enjoy I could take with me if I abdicated and what bits I couldn’t.

Why are Meghan and Harry (as reported in several outlets. Not Harry and Meghan. Interesting that) being singled out?

As others have alluded...

Kensington Palace apartment 1A renovations? £4.5m
Buckingham Palace? £370m odd
Clarence House? £4.5m
Royal Lodge Windsor? £7.5m

Why the hate for H&M specifically?

@bisset I think because harry and meghan were offered an appartment in kensington palace, and they insisted on having FIVE houses knocked into one for three people. It seems excessive to many

@ivykaty44 the crown estate belongs to the nation. The Queen is the head of that but she doesn't own it, Monarch is her 'job' so think of the estates as her workplace, fabulous as they are. Outside of her job she owns her own houses and land.

*I’m not understanding why the tax payers have paid for it so please correct me if I am incorrect.

The money came out of the Sovereign Grant?

Which was never money intended for the public purse and came out of the Queen’s 15% she receives back from her estate, she gives the other 85% to the public purse.

Tbh, I’d say converting a grade II cottage plus 5 other flats into one is quite cheap... considering it needed everything done to it (full rewrite, heating systems) etc..

I’m more pissed of at MP’s etc.. claiming thousands I’d pounds a year for there lunch... which is directly taken from the public purse!!!

@Bandara

But William and Kate have an apartment at Kensington Palace ... at a cost of £4.5m

Then spent another £2.5m (?) renovating Anmer Hall.

of their

Coffee. Your so wrong...
William the king hand over the management of his royal properties in return for an income.....
While each King or Queen afterwards owns the property, they do not have the right to sell anything...
However if the monarchy were abolished, the property reverts to the current King or Queen.

Which was never money intended for the public purse

The original purpose of revenue from the crown estates was to run the country (parliament, armed forces, etc) so what you’re saying is incorrect.

George III couldn’t be arsed with all that and negotiated the sovereign grant after handing CE money back to parliament

It seems like a lot of money, but if it's going to local companies to do the work, then that's hopefully providing a decent bit of employment, and then being taxed etc. If it's from the Queen's own money (I don't really understand how it all works) or H&M's, then I can't get too worked up about it. Better than being hoarded away in offshore bank accounts (which I also don't really understand).