As Rachel Reeves struggles to balance the books, the Royal Family should forgo a £46 million increase in their funding. AIBU?

[User198174]

Due to an increase in Crown Estate profits, the government is set to increase its grant to the Royal Family from £ 86.3 million to £132.1 million.
As the Royal Family appear to be getting by at present on an £86.3 million grant, AIBU to say that they should share in the pain of the national squeeze on finances?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy5lzq94gqo.amp

what a great post. Totally agree.

Yes...why ARE they idolised? What do they actually do apart from cutting the odd ribbon?

Whatever your opinion of foreign aid, it’s indisputable that its recipients need it more than the royal family needs another £46m. I can’t think of any area of government spending which is more profligate that cut by

IIRC the stupid deal agreed by John Major was that if the profits go up, they get more, but if the profits go down their income doesn't go down, it stays the same. The Civil List was more transparent as they got paid to do duties and the rest was paid for out of the Crown Estate- buildings etc.

I don't think the ability of parliament to sack a king is a pro RF argument. At best it's a mitigation against a risk. A risk that would be non existent if there was no king in the first place.

Sorry, phone went berserk. I was trying say that I can’t think of another area of government spending which is so profligate with taxpayers’ money. It’s as if it’s an unspeakable idea to cut royal funding.

I used to believe the checks and balances idea, but when the queen failed to stop Boris Johnson from proroguing parliament, I saw it for the hoax that it is.

If £46 million can be raised with just £1 from each household... why do we decide that should go to this family? Ok, it won't sort the NHS, but it's not nothing! So why should it all go to one wealthy family?

Well that's Charlie paid back for providing digs and funds for AMW.

He waited until the accounts were published, then got A sorted "from his own funds ya know", safe in the knowledge that he would get a massive lump from the Crown Estate (our asset, not his) to bump up his bank account again.

If any apologist comes along to try and justify all this, I'll have my fingers in my ears right! Optics dear boy, optics.

Exactly. All the years we've had this line trotted out, and the one time it would actually have been quite useful, the Queen instead chose to articulate her (apparent) opposition to Brexit by wearing coded hats and brooches, or something. Absolute nonsense.

It depends what it's for. If to replace the roof, replumb and rewire Buck House, then maybe. That is a national asset.

I'd want a detailed breakdown of their budget plans.

You probably won't consider it reputable, but chat gpt says that the royal family likely provides a net positive financial effect, mostly through tourism and the Crown Estate mechanism, but the exact figure is highly debated.

Ha ha ha ha 😂..the word "likely " makes this statement extremely ambiguous. Come on...there must surely be some substantive evidence somewhere?

Where the money is going is relevant. Presumably they're not getting £46m to roll around the floor in.

I do think that once Charles snuffs it the whole royal ball game will change. And that's likely to be sooner than later given his age.

I think since QE died and post randy-Andy gate etc the royals are going to need to accept some fairly hefty cost cutting or the mood will swing more and more Republican. I dont know any young people who are royalists

Agreed. Not acting then made the royals as a "check and balance" redundant.
Such a disgusting and shameful episode

Well in 2024-25 the Crown Estate generated £1.1bn of net revenue.

That goes to the govt, in exchange for a payment of £86m to the Crown.

I'd say £1.1bn for £86m is probably a good deal in anyone's books.

France is the most visited country in the world. I’m not suggesting the French solution to the problem of the royal family, but I don’t buy the tourism claims. In fact, tourists and the British public would get more access to the artistic treasures of the royal palaces if we were to become a republic.

Yep, fine by me. Get rid of the lot.

I think they will become a political issue sooner or later.

I am always surprised at this attitude. I have no particular love for the royal family, but it’s been part of British culture for centuries. We wouldn’t suggest any other cultures just remove stuff - we would respect their culture. But we have zero respect for ours

as I say, financially chat gpt overall says they are a net positive

Male only suffrage and slavery were part of our culture too but we managed to move on from that ok

You find most people on the street agree but those in power won't do it.

YANBU but £46 million is piss in the wind. For context it’s a seven thousandth of what we spent on benefits and pensions alone.

It could pay for a decent number of teachers /nurses /playgrounds/bus services etc.
It's not to be sneered at