King calls for creative ways to tackle inequality

[AshLeaf]

AIBU to think this displays a breathtaking lack of self-awareness from one of the richest men in the world?

Well, how about you make a start with that Charles?!

The king wants creative ways to end inequality ?
How about you stop trying to claim ownership of lands stolen nearly 1000 years ago ?
When George handed over the crown estates centuries ago ( in return for the state rescuing him from bankruptcy) the Dutchies were overlooked as then they were mainly farm lands

Tine to take them back under state control .and stop this outrage .
If that isn’t creative enough Charles, no more state hand outs and pay your taxes !

Yeah I think someone might want to sit Charles down and explain about how and why he is so rich.

Maybe he could watch a bit of C4 dispatches

Oh I think they are well aware .
They count every penny .
It sheer hypocrisy is breathtaking ,
How much did the coronation cost us ? A couple of hundred million? Yes of course it’s a made up nonsense but part of the liturgy had the population handed over to his ‘care’
It’s all theatre .
Wave at the plebs from your tacky golden coach (except the plebs don’t turn up any more do they?) and hurry back to your palace to rip off the very taxpayer funded state services we all depend on

All you need is Andrew to head up a child abuse charity, and you'd have a full house.

I am just watching Dispatches. This article I linked (https://archive.ph/k2CGM) covers it on paper really well, but it's quite gobsmacking seeing it covered so extensively with commentary from everyone from Stephen Fry to Margaret Hodge and tenants, ordinary people. To see a public Affairs Committee stonewalled by the Keeper of the Purse for Duchy of C, just not answering questions.

I wonder if this programme for Channel4 was only agreed if it had a short term on the catch up service... it's ony available for 30 days.

I think the dispatches programme was delayed one week then again the next
Unusual .

None of this is new - Elizabeth Windsor got herself excluded from hundreds of laws and enriched her own family at the expense of the people
The Dutchy’s rip offs only came to light as a result of the Panama papers expose .
Look that up . The so called ‘queen’ had her riches invested abroad to enrich herself and avoid paying the tiny voluntary tax offering she’d had her arm twisted to pay.
How anyone supports this greedy feudal set up is beyond me

Id even accept Charles ( not William though) if he had no public money and paid all his taxes

Watching the programme, the bit from 19 mins onwards is shocking. It really shows up the eco credentials of William and Charles. It even highlights Earthshot and William's words as hypocrisy.

All I know is... William and Charles will hate this programme. It is lifting the curtain on what goes on. Only a bit, but it's a start....

I’m sorry to keep posting so much but I have one last point .

I remember Elizabeth Windsor being implicated in the Panama papers expose and I remember Margaret Hodge ( I think) asking questions in the commons . The Dutchys activities were mentioned then .
This was years ago ! Maybe 10 years ago . Why did it take so long for this to be looked at properly ?
I want to thank Dispatches for this work .
i bet it was uphill all the way
The royals obstruct every attempt to get answers while filling their pockets .

Well, this has turned out to be a more interesting and illuminating thread than I’d imagined! Thankyou everyone for your contributions, especially Busting and UKisgaslit and anyone else who has highlighted the despatches program and the related article. Everyone should be fully aware of this stuff

Well... you ought to see the Keeper of the Purse for one of the Duchies... literally stonewalling a Public Affairs Committee. Not answering questions, calling the Duchies 'private estates' , more or less saying it was none of our business.

I think they are fully aware of how they got to be & remain so rich.....judging by how they fight to keep their finances opaque and obstruct every effort to obtain more clarity.

They refuse to pay any taxes and then engage in fronting projects like William's 'I will end homelessness' campaign. There is nothing in it, it is all just a PR exercise to make him look good while others are doing the real work. Charities like Shelter & Centrepoint have been fighting homelessness for years; if William wanted to he could just show support for these, rather than putting the spotlight on himself.

Prince William has the nerve to pontificate that “everyone having a right to a safe and stable home” whilst making money on what are essentially slum dwellings. And remember that this is while a £369 million renovation of Buckingham Palace is ongoing courtesy of the taxpayer.

I agree that everyone should watch the documentary and familiarise themselves with the issues. The RF have no credibility at all; their greed, hypocrisy and arrogance know no bounds. How anyone can continue to support this setup is beyond me.

Not sure how you think that would end inequality as any proceeds from sales would belong to the Catholic Church?

@Ukisgaslit I love your posts. I feel like we would get on. I'm not usually someone that feels strongly about things but I've always found the love for the Royal Family baffling.
I love English history and find it as rich and fascinating as anyone but don't understand why so many people are so accepting of an 'institution' that is so outdated and ridiculous.

Please keep posting!

I had forgotten about the Panama Papers!

Harry and Meghan are a very useful distraction from what is actually going on!

If the King and the RF really cared about inequality they would have at least done the following to demonstrate it:

• Provided complete transparency about royal finances years ago;
• Paid all the taxes that would be due to them, which would in turn have contributed to public services;
• Foregone (or at least drastically reduced) the coronation, on the basis that a lavish event to glorify one person was utterly inappropriate during a cost of living crisis following a major epidemic;
• Used their public roles to support good causes, and be seen to have fought tirelessly for years against inequality. This is a reason why William has no credibility; despite all his privilege he has reached his 40s without any major achievement to his name. We all know that he couldn't care less about the underprivileged - but he does care very much about looking good. Actions speak louder than words I'm afraid.

The frankly sinister media hate campaign against Harry and (especially) Meghan is a blatant distraction from the scandalous situation of the current Royals. It is as though they haven't noticed that H&M left the UK years ago and don't cost the public anything.

The RF can't even keep their own members together...Charles has fallen out with half of his own family and we are supposed to not notice that or even think it odd. So it must of course be H&M's fault.

I think they wanted H&M gone because they outshone the ones left behind.

Compare & contrast Meghan speaking fluent Spanish in Colombia with William stumbling over French and unable to speak Welsh....despite knowing all his life that he would be Prince of Wales. And despite him having the best education money could buy (paid for by us of course).

I agree the campaign against M and H is sinister. And I say that without hyperbole!

It’s like someone in the heart of the establishment in a back room of the Admiralty or somewhere, has pressed a big black button marked “destroy” 😃

Jokes aside, H and M haven’t helped themselves perhaps in all situations, but the more I observe, the more I feel that Harry’s upset about being used as “distraction” fodder is well founded!

I haven't had much respect for the Royals for some time now; but after the latest revelations I can say that my view of them is in the toilet.

The future king has been outed as a slumlord. What do monarchists make of that? I think one of the worst things about this documentary was the fact that the tenants had to be quoted anonymously and by actors....they were too scared of reprisals to go public. And this from a self styled champion of the homeless.

It also emerged that they are taking money via rents from charities which they are patrons of, and which we contribute to. It gives a whole new meaning to the word 'patron' doesn't it?

And this is all just what we now know....God knows what else they have managed to keep still covered up.

Totally agree. This detail in the Dispatches doc and relevant articles took years to uncover. Imagine what we don't know about.

Most are very predictable, as I'm sure you wanted!

Just as a trip down memory lane (sorry for the DM link): William's disapproval of other slum landlords in 2019.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6779851/Prince-William-vows-stand-against-slum-landlords.html

If you’ve read the thread, it seems to have deepened from a bit of lighthearted banter about our King’s lack of self-awareness, to an understanding that his majesties are in fact, very self-aware, and very keen that the general public should be kept very much not aware of their finances/tax breaks/legislative opt-outs.

I never expected this - my eyes have been opened!

OK and the other religions that are wealthy? Do you want money from them too or just the Catholics?

Just the Christians or do you fancy taking from any of the religions who are far wealthier?

Well done for archiving the article Busting, I’m having a bit of trouble getting the programme to play on the C4 website - have other people been able to access it ok?