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Original poster

The Royals jumping ship... part 2

113 replies

Wolfgirrl · 04/04/2020 01:17

Shiny new thread now we have had some royal crumbs thrown our way.

Will William rejoin the air ambulance like he has been threatening to do? Or was it a bit of lip service in the hope we will all go away and leave him to enjoy his 5* lockdown experience?

Charles has pointlessly 'opened' a hospital via video link, praising the NHS whose rules he flouted by flying to his rural second home country estate, whilst experience coronavirus symptoms. Such a shame he just had to make an emergency dash out of London, being holed up in a Scottish manor surrounded by red squirrels and coniferous forest must be simply awful. I'm sure he would much prefer a 2 bedroom house with a courtyard garden, much cosier.

Harry and Megs have hopped over the pond and now live in LA. Being professionals in self isolation, I'm sure they will be just fine.

On the upside the Queen will be addressing the nation on Sunday, genuinely thrilled for my grandparents who will no doubt be watching with a glass of whisky and a silk cut.

Onto the next chapter...

OP posts:
CathyorClaire · 17/04/2020 12:01

Wolfgirrl

Wills is clearly too busy home-educating and gurning about it to dig out his khaki kecks.

mummy2017

Could you clarify your post? Do you mean the income from the Duchy of Lancaster?

mummmy2017 · 17/04/2020 13:15

No..
The Crown Estates belong to the Sovereign. They sign it over to the state the day they become Sovereign.
It really is as a company.
Once they declare a profit, which they as it contains lots of property rentals. The Queen takes 15%, the rest goes to the Govenment and gets spent on us.....

lifestooshort123 · 17/04/2020 14:02

Come to mumsnet if you fancy a dose of nasty and spiteful with a side order of large chips...

Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 17/04/2020 14:06

@lifestooshort123

Why?

OP posts:
Dowser · 17/04/2020 14:11

No I’m not wolfgirl
But will look out for it now

Puzzledandpissedoff · 17/04/2020 15:26

The Crown Estates belong to the Sovereign

Not quite; the sovereign holds the estate in right of the Crown; it's run by Commissioners, and whoever's-turn -it-is "signs it over" at the start of each reign by virtue of being the monarch, rather than on a personal basis

I think I'm beginning to see where you're coming from about the 15%/85%, but would suggest you're perhaps a bit confused about the latter being "tax" since that can only be levied on personal assets

It's true that the Crown Estate used to belong to the monarch (I think it was Geeorge III who handed it over but would have to check). However when it was "theirs", they also had to pay for the army and navy, the government and the national debt among much else

I wonder how they'd fancy chipping in for that now?

mummmy2017 · 17/04/2020 16:38

Which bit do you not get .
Legally the queen and her descendants own it all
Do you understand that.
There is no way round this.
Even if you disbanded the monarchy , her line would still own it.
You can't take it away from them, or legally your house could be taken away from you under the same law.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 17/04/2020 19:28

mummmy I "get" all of the article you linked because I've read into this in some depth and it's nothing new. Unfortunately it's clear you don't understand the very real difference between owning something personally and owning it in right of the Crown, so there's probably little point in labouring that point further

It reminded me, though, that George III (who irrespective of how the RF got it really did own it all) only handed the assets over when profits slumped and keeping them no longer benefited him. Of course the revenues have increased massively since then, so in their usual "heads we win tails you lose" manner, the royal family decided back in 2011 that instead of Civil List funding, they'd rather take a cut of the Crown Estate revenues again

How very convenient - and how very predictable

CathyorClaire · 17/04/2020 20:59

Even if you disbanded the monarchy , her line would still own it

In practice though there's every chance it would quite rightly revert to the state. In the event of a republic the chances of the royals waltzing off into the sunset with the Crown Estate intact are infinitesimal.

I'll ask again. How do you think the royals came to "own" the Crown Estate and hence use it as a bargaining chip in the first place?

mummmy2017 · 17/04/2020 21:17

The land followed the person wearing the crown's, as one group gained strength so they gained the lands.
Which they then gave or rented to people loyal to their cause.

CathyorClaire · 17/04/2020 21:27

Norman invasion and subsequent land grabs from the peasantry?

Henry VIII and the dissolution of the monasteries?

Go back far enough and it's all rather murky.

Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 17/04/2020 21:41

@mummmy2017

You dont seem able to understand the complexities or anything beyond 'so and so owns it'.

The land was exchanged by the Monarch in return for not paying for the civil service, army etc as they used to do. How could it be exchanged and still be in the hands of the Monarch?

What was agreed was that a cut of the profits from the land would be used for the Sovereign Grant, and the estate would be under the ownership of the Monarch by virtue of their title.

A bit like how Boris Johnson 'owns' 10 Downing Streer by virtue of being Prime Minister. He gets to benefit from it, but it is not his and he cannot sell it on.

If the monarchy was disbanded it would revert back to the government, aka public.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 17/04/2020 21:42

So in fact the Monarch doesnt 'pay 85% tax' rather she takes 15% of the profits.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 17/04/2020 21:44

Let's move on to the actual point of the thread.

For those that argue only the royals have the charitable fundraising clout they do; how do you explain Captain Tom Moore, who has raised 20 million (and counting)? In a few weeks he has raised half what all the royals do in a year (and even then, that's assuming the money was only donated as they were patrons, which is quite a leap).

OP posts:
mummmy2017 · 17/04/2020 22:12

Legally it still is owned by the Crown. take the Crown away , the agreement is ended,
It reverts back to Elizabeth and her family...
Shame that legally right now your wrong.

Iamthewombat · 17/04/2020 22:20

Shame that legally right now your wrong.

Eh?

Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 17/04/2020 22:38

@mummmy2017

Ahhh I see! You are confusing the Crown and the Monarchy.

The Crown is a public administration that controls the estate. It's a bit like a department.

Does that make sense?

OP posts:
farfallarocks · 17/04/2020 22:47

It’s the end for them. I used to a royalist. The video of Kate and wills ( Kate with tan, perfect hair and make up) this morning talking of their struggles
With homeschooling was the absolute
End for me. Piss off. Staff, nannies, acres of space. It’s really not a struggle.

mummmy2017 · 17/04/2020 22:49

No I am talking about the glittery things you put on the head of someone, you know the one that we see in the tower of London.

Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 18/04/2020 00:35

@mummmy2017 you really don't get it do you Smile

OP posts:
mummmy2017 · 18/04/2020 00:38

I understand it very well.
Shame you don't.
The Queen OWNS the holdings of the land, they belong to her.

Original poster
Wolfgirrl · 18/04/2020 00:41

@mummmy2017

Pigs can fly, pigs can fly, pigs can fly....

OP posts:
mummmy2017 · 18/04/2020 00:41

Woops the price of bacon is going to go up then.

Easilyanxious · 18/04/2020 01:13

They make us money not cost us so really what is the problem , half the tourists if not more busy because we have a royal family .

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