Do you think the monarchy should have an annual set budget?

[Trezo]

What do you think?

The Sovereign Grant needs to be scrapped and the monarchy funded through proper annual budgeting, in line with the normal processes used for funding all other public bodies.

The Sovereign Grant is a nonsensical way to fund any public body. The funds come from the Treasury but are linked to the profits of the Crown Estate. There is a 'ratchet' clause that means once the Grant has gone up it can't go back down.

The result has been a massive increase in the grant over the past ten years, while public services are cut and jobs lost. The monarchy should be funded on the basis of need and budgets should be scrutinised and set annually, as they are for other public bodies.

There is a petition on the talk petition and activism forum

Class envy is so ugly.

The monarchy defo needs an overhaul. Why in this day and age are we supporting these multi millionaires with benefits? None of their wealth is legitimately earned. Their behaviour over the centuries has been of the lowest form off criminality:murder, rape, torture, theft on the most epic scale . I don’t know how it can be unravelled but it could start with all that land they stole - giving it back.

@cdtaylornats

Class envy is so ugly.

You are thick

PerseverancePays well said. I follow Republic uk YouTube channel very informative Will wait and see if there is a referendum on the monarchy after queen goes. I am so glad Barbados are becoming a republic, so that's a good thing, other Caribbean countries may follow suit.

Historian and member of the ARM National Committee, Jenny Hocking, discusses what Australia could look like as a republic. She won the right to have the palace letters opened Over a million was spent to keep them secret.

I really hope something changes when she goes. I get that they bring a financial gain to the uk but their obscene unearned wealth makes my blood boil.
Also I feel sorry for the children born into it; no matter what their talents, they will be groomed to be feckless, unemployed goons all their lives.

I don't know what they bring to the country They don't work hard and they are not good for tourism. They cost estimated 345 million a year.
I agree with all you said.

The petition has gained quite a few signatures It would be good if the MPs take notice and change the funding to a fairer budget for them. So that's first step then a referendum when she goes.

I don’t think they should have a penny.
Also, one of them should be in jail.

Royal Finances

An absolute exemption for the Windsors under the freedom of information act granted by the government without going through parliament Meaning claims for information about their costs would not be met until after their deaths. What have they got to hide?

There is something deeply wrong if the public are not entitled to know where its money goes. Huge swathes of money are not even available for public disclosure. All travel expenses below £15,000 are exempt from publication and are not recorded. Security costs which account for by far the largest drain on the public finances are similarly unpublished. And Local councils often foot a heavy bill for the Windsors family days-out. Ramsey Council saw its reserve budget wiped out due to a bill £58,000 for a visit from Mrs Windsor. Transport is available to them for whatever they want. Private jet to Scotland Charles, trips to play golf Andrew, Anne to watch sport. Etc. Etc Etc

But the abohorant nature of the monarchy is only further underlined by the fact that the Windsor family see fit to steel millions of pounds of tax payers money and deliberately seek to deceive thoses tax payers, whether by omitting three-quarters of their costs from published reports or by dividing the sum by everybody in the country.

£345 million is a lot of money. Money that could be used for our public services , nurses ,doctors ,schools ,police. Instead We throw money at an institution that serves No Purpose Whatsoever

The Windsors are given tens of millions of pounds of public money simply because they happen to be members of a particular family, despite their incompetence, their casual racism, and their institutional snobbery.

Compare this to the costs of the Irish President which actually came in under budget.

www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/higgins-spends-over-300-000-on-guests-at-áras-an-uachtaráin-1.4193042

The Windsors cost a lot of money don't they?

I definetly think their costs this year throughout the pandemic will be much lower. I'd expect them to reimburse the remainder of their Grant to the State as at least a gesture of goodwill.

Yes. How about £0?

How much do m.p.s and lords cost? (real cost, all perks and overheads included)

Well the MPs get pay rises they get subsidised food and drink. While the Tory part voted to sop free school meals for the poorest children.

The lords get paid over £300 every day just for turning up.

The Windsors spend public money as if it's their own day in day out expensive travel for their own personal interests. MPs were not allowed to get away with it the expenses scandal new laws were brought in. But this family spends public money as if it is their own nothing is said about this.

If you want to sign petition for a fairer proper annual budgeting please sign the petition here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/petitions_noticeboard

That's a start then after queen goes we may be get a referendum a say if we want a monarchy Thank you

I thought the Sovereign grant was set at about 15% of the profits from the crown estates?

Hi Hadalifeonce

This will explain how the monarchy is financed.

How is the monarchy funded?
The monarchy has never been funded like other public bodies, which are usually set an annual budget based on what they actually need to spend.

Until 2013, the costs of the monarchy – that's the Queen in her role as head of state and the other working royals – were funded by a civil list payment and a number of separate grants covering travel, property maintenance, communications and other expenses.

All these costs have now been rolled into one single annual payment called the “Sovereign Grant”. This has been set at 25% of surplus revenue from the crown estate - a publicly-owned property portfolio - resulting in a payment of £76.1m for 2017/2018.

However, the Sovereign Grant is just one part of the total cost of the monarchy. The royal family's security bill is picked up by the metropolitan police, for example, while the costs of royal visits are borne by local councils.

Meanwhile, income from the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall – despite belonging to the nation - goes directly to the Queen and Prince Charles respectively, depriving the treasury of tens of millions of pounds every year.

When all this hidden expenditure is included, the real cost of the monarchy to British taxpayers is likely to be around £345m annually.

I'm not sure the Duchy of Lancaster belongs to the nation, I think it's held in trust for the monarchy going forward, the present sovereign being able to take an interest income, but isn't able to use the capital.

No they are either public or private whenever suits them The Duchy of Cornwall is run like a corporation but pays no corporation tax or capital gains tax so giving them an unfair advantage. They refuse to pay tax. and the government lets them get away with it. The Duchies are only owned in an official capacity.

Republic's royal finances reform charter proposes the following simple reforms, to improve accountability, transparency and fairness in royal finances and to appropriately assign public funds to the Treasury.

Parliament to set an annual fixed budget for the monarchy - including an annual salary for the Queen - to be managed and reported on by a government department, not Buckingham Palace.
All security costs to be made transparent and accountable.
All costs of royal visits around the country to be incorporated into the monarchy's budget, not met by local authorities.
The institution of the monarchy, and all members of the royal household, to be required to abide by the same tax laws and rules as all other public bodies and private individuals.
The Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall to be fully investigated by parliament with a view to transferring them into public ownership, with all revenue going to the Treasury.
The Crown Estate to be renamed 'the National Estate' and its status clarified through amendment of the Crown Estate Act.

Here is the Toyal Finances Report Answers your questions.
www.republic.org.uk/sites/default/files/Royal-Expenses-Report-2017_0.pdf

Republic's royal finances reform charter proposes the following simple reforms, to improve accountability, transparency and fairness in royal finances and to appropriately assign public funds to the Treasury.

Parliament to set an annual fixed budget for the monarchy - including an annual salary for the Queen - to be managed and reported on by a government department, not Buckingham Palace.

All security costs to be made transparent and accountable.

All costs of royal visits around the country to be incorporated into the monarchy's budget, not met by local authorities.

The institution of the monarchy, and all members of the royal household, to be required to abide by the same tax laws and rules as all other public bodies and private individuals.

The Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall to be fully investigated by parliament with a view to transferring them into public ownership, with all revenue going to the Treasury.

The Crown Estate to be renamed 'the National Estate' and its status clarified through amendment of the Crown Estate Act.