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The royal family

Three Houses or Four

231 replies

antelopevalley · 18/08/2022 12:54

Yahoo has an update piece about the three houses the Cambridges now have, alongside some of the renovation costs. Still, it is one less than Charles who has four residences.
William and Charles - the great environmentalists.

"When they moved into Kensington Palace: There was understandably some controversy when it was revealed that the move would also be coming with an eye-watering renovation bill to be picked up by the British taxpayer. Neglected and run-down, Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace required a number of major changes and updates for it to be brought up to liveable standards (and allow the couple to add their own personal touches). In 2014, the Sovereign Grant confirmed that it cost over $5.4 million (£4.5m) to complete.

A necessary investment: At the time, press aides told outlets, including myself, that the costs were a necessary investment as the couple planned to use the property as a permanent base to work and raise a family. This house, they assured, would be their forever home. Though the Cambridges had another residence in Norfolk—a property on the Sandringham Estate for school holidays and escaping the city—the $1.8 million (£1.5m) renovation costs for Anmer Hall, a wedding gift from the Queen, were all paid for privately.

The new driveway: In 2019, the duke and duchess added a further $1.2 million (£1 million) to their Sovereign Grant-funded renovation costs at Kensington Palace by installing a new driveway. It was a figure that left many scratching their heads, but was mostly ignored by sections of the press who were more focused on how much Harry and Meghan would be spending on their new crib.
The move to Windsor: Despite the palace promise, the Cambridges’ time at “KP” has come to an end after nine years. Later this month they will move to a new abode in Windsor, for a life “away from the goldfish bowl” in London and what a source tells me is an effort to give their children “as normal a life as possible”. It’s a decision that has raised a few eyebrows, particularly at a time when the country is dealing with a major cost of living crisis. Picking up a third home, especially when one of them cost the public so much to renovate, is hardly the norm for regular folk.

Adelaide isn’t costing the taxpayers anything?? Still, Adelaide Cottage comes at no expense to anyone but the couple, I’m told. Rather than buy, the couple have chosen to privately rent. Any desired cosmetic work or refurbishments will be paid from their own pockets. (It remains to be seen how the duke and duchess will travel to and from London—their love for helicopter trips, which the British press prefer to turn a blind eye to, are not just an unfair cost to the public but also go completely against William’s environmental concerns).

They wanted to get the kids out of London. “They thought about moving to [their home in] Norfolk, but as active senior working royals they could never be that far away from London, so that’s where Windsor came into the picture,” says the source."
uk.style.yahoo.com/prince-william-kate-windsor-move-kensington-palace-153609273.html

OP posts:
ajandjjmum · 24/08/2022 16:12

Hey @JemimaPuddlegoose - have you got those links yet for the hundreds of articles about Diana being a bully?

Rather have an answer to one question, before getting drowned in another nonsensical rant!

ajandjjmum · 24/08/2022 16:15

Roussette · 24/08/2022 16:08

@JemimaPuddlegoose

There's absolutely no reason this summit couldn't have been in London, or online

Exactly, it's all new and I have no idea why he has to go to NY for this. And let us remember... this was continually thrown at H&M for coming across next month in relation to Invictus and WellChild. Posters were insisting he could do the WellChild awards online.
I pointed out again and again, that he has been a patron of WellChild since 2007 and he has only missed one awards ceremony in person because of Covid. Every single year he has turned up to present the Awards and give a speech. Nope, he shouldn't be coming. Ridiculous.
But of course for William it's different... his fledgling Earthshot deserves a trip to NY.
You couldn't make it up.

Just to be sure I've got this right @Roussette , you think it's ok for Harry to come over here for WellChild, but not for William to go to NY for Earthshot.

You see, in my mind, they are both either right or wrong.

Personally - as long as they're on commercial flights - I see nothing wrong with either.

Ohnonevermind · 24/08/2022 16:19

@Roussette

and you want PW to travel every day to KP where his office is 🤣🤣🤣

Roussette · 24/08/2022 16:20

ajandjjmum · 24/08/2022 16:15

Just to be sure I've got this right @Roussette , you think it's ok for Harry to come over here for WellChild, but not for William to go to NY for Earthshot.

You see, in my mind, they are both either right or wrong.

Personally - as long as they're on commercial flights - I see nothing wrong with either.

You really don't read my posts!

I am saying where is the criticism for William for flying to New York to give a speech about his fledgling Charity, when Harry was criticised on and on and on for daring to come here next month to an event he has personally attended for more than 15 years.
That is my point. It's not personally directed at you and I am glad to see you think it's OK for Harry to attend his Charity as normal. A lot of posters did not feel like you.

Roussette · 24/08/2022 16:21

Ohnonevermind · 24/08/2022 16:19

@Roussette

and you want PW to travel every day to KP where his office is 🤣🤣🤣

What's the matter with a round trip of 40 miles in an electric car? Lucky him having such a small commute!

JemimaPuddlegoose · 24/08/2022 16:27

Poor William. Imaging being so insecure you have to throw yourself a conference just so you can say you did a speech in NY during the UN summit.

And all that tourism money is BECAUSE of the Royal family.

Nah, that's been debunked a thousand times. France takes in more money through tourism than we do. Historic royal palaces with no connection to the Windsors take in more money via tourism than active royal residences, and something like BP is only open for part of the year.

Not to mention much of that tourist income goes into the "Royal Collection Trust" not the public purse. The Royal Collection Trust pays for the royal art collections, most of which we're not allowed to see. What's the point of tourist income if the RF hoard it and use it to buy Prince Andrew a new original Da Vinci for his bedroom wall, where... I was going to say "where no one else will see it", but... Confused

If we got rid of the RF tomorrow and opened up all the royal residences to tourists and venue hire, the income generated would shoot up. Look at the amount of priceless works that officially belong to the nation but in practice no one except royals can look at. The Royal Art Collection has over one million items (including "7000 paintings, 30,000 watercolours and drawings, and about 450,000 photographs, as well as tapestries, furniture, ceramics, textiles, carriages, weapons, armour, jewellery, clocks, musical instruments, tableware..."). A tiny fraction is loaned to museums and galleries, a handful is on display to tourists who visit BP and other royal residences, but most of it is private.

Imaging being able to put hundreds of thousands of priceless works of art on public display, paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo. Extraordinary historic jewellery collections. Sculptures. Royal dresses. It would generate millions of pounds.

Tourists visit because of our thousands of years of royal history, and to see historic palaces, and to view art and priceless jewels. Not because of current royals. People still visit Versailles in droves.

queenofarles · 24/08/2022 16:31

what’s a stan ? in Persian it means Land .

derxa · 24/08/2022 16:31

JemimaPuddlegoose · 24/08/2022 16:27

Poor William. Imaging being so insecure you have to throw yourself a conference just so you can say you did a speech in NY during the UN summit.

And all that tourism money is BECAUSE of the Royal family.

Nah, that's been debunked a thousand times. France takes in more money through tourism than we do. Historic royal palaces with no connection to the Windsors take in more money via tourism than active royal residences, and something like BP is only open for part of the year.

Not to mention much of that tourist income goes into the "Royal Collection Trust" not the public purse. The Royal Collection Trust pays for the royal art collections, most of which we're not allowed to see. What's the point of tourist income if the RF hoard it and use it to buy Prince Andrew a new original Da Vinci for his bedroom wall, where... I was going to say "where no one else will see it", but... Confused

If we got rid of the RF tomorrow and opened up all the royal residences to tourists and venue hire, the income generated would shoot up. Look at the amount of priceless works that officially belong to the nation but in practice no one except royals can look at. The Royal Art Collection has over one million items (including "7000 paintings, 30,000 watercolours and drawings, and about 450,000 photographs, as well as tapestries, furniture, ceramics, textiles, carriages, weapons, armour, jewellery, clocks, musical instruments, tableware..."). A tiny fraction is loaned to museums and galleries, a handful is on display to tourists who visit BP and other royal residences, but most of it is private.

Imaging being able to put hundreds of thousands of priceless works of art on public display, paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo. Extraordinary historic jewellery collections. Sculptures. Royal dresses. It would generate millions of pounds.

Tourists visit because of our thousands of years of royal history, and to see historic palaces, and to view art and priceless jewels. Not because of current royals. People still visit Versailles in droves.

People still visit Versailles in droves. That's because holiday companies/hotels in Paris sell the day trips hard. It's a soulless place because it is literally a museum..

Roussette · 24/08/2022 16:34

Derxa have you been?

I have. It was gobsmacking. It really was. Me and DH wandered round in awe. I would love to go again.

Ohnonevermind · 24/08/2022 16:36

And still far more people will come to see PW in New York making his speech than the dozen or so in attendance at the UN for Prince Harry’s

The reality of PH’s appearance is far different to the fantasy publicity bought and paid for by sunshine Sachs.

Just as it turns out the ‘smoking gun’ being pointed at the RF is rather more a smoking electric fire

derxa · 24/08/2022 16:41

Roussette · 24/08/2022 16:34

Derxa have you been?

I have. It was gobsmacking. It really was. Me and DH wandered round in awe. I would love to go again.

Of course I've been I'm a Francophile. I've spent many a holiday in France and was an au pair one summer. Versailles is beautiful but so is the Sistine Chapel etc etc

derxa · 24/08/2022 16:43

www.parismatch.com/Royal-Blog/Kate-elle-a-deja-tout-d-une-Reine-1820166
The French are fascinated by our Royal family and American culture.

smilesy · 24/08/2022 17:13

@derxa I have to say I agree about the Palais de Versailles. Can’t quite put my finger on why but I found it distinctly underwhelming and I’ve visited it a few times (I used to live quite near to Versailles). It’s very pretty but it doesn’t seem to have any soul as you say. Maybe it’s because it’s very sparsely furnished 🤷‍♀️

Roussette · 24/08/2022 17:14

Good job we're all different isn't it? I found it fascinating and want to go again.

Serenster · 24/08/2022 17:47

Poor William. Imaging being so insecure you have to throw yourself a conference just so you can say you did a speech in NY during the UN summit.

So, if we run with your counterfactual here, we are to take it that William was so jealous of Harry’s address to the handful of attendees who attended the Nelson Mandela Memorial Day on 18 July that in less than a month he was able to organise and announce a summit that will convene last year’s Earthshot prize winners and finalists, the Earthshot Global alliance network, Heads of State, global business leaders, philanthropists and NGOs. Gosh, that’s super impressive - it shows what incredible pull and influence Prince William has on the global stage! 😀

Or, as is obviously the case, the summit has been planned for a long while and it, and Prince William’s attendance, has only recently been announced. And so has absolutely nothing to do with Prince Harry.

(It’s being held in New York because it’s a joint venture with Earthshot and New York-based Bloomberg Philanthropies, the charitable foundation of Michael Bloomberg, who is an ex Mayor of New York, yes, but who is also the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambitions and Solutions).

MissMarpleRocks · 24/08/2022 18:17

queenofarles · 24/08/2022 16:31

what’s a stan ? in Persian it means Land .

I’m glad it’s not just me who doesn’t know what a Stan is. Sometimes I think im
too old for this world.

I too was in awe of Versailles but agree it had no soul.

I went to Grimsthorpe Castle last week which is still lived in & it showed in the warmth of the place. I felt the same with Buckingham Palace even though it was huge. Went to Windsor over 20 years ago so can’t remember what I thought of it.

Serenster · 24/08/2022 18:22

A “Stan” is an obsessive fan. 😀

(The term derives from Eminem’s hit song “Stan” in which he reads out increasingly angry and obsessive letters from a fictional fan called Stan).

LaMarschallin · 24/08/2022 18:24

JemimaPuddlegoose

What's the point of tourist income if the RF hoard it and use it to buy Prince Andrew a new original Da Vinci for his bedroom wall, where... I was going to say "where no one else will see it", but... Confused

I though that was quite funny; my compliments Smile

MissMarpleRocks · 24/08/2022 18:32

Serenster · 24/08/2022 18:22

A “Stan” is an obsessive fan. 😀

(The term derives from Eminem’s hit song “Stan” in which he reads out increasingly angry and obsessive letters from a fictional fan called Stan).

Thank you. I’m more of an LBC person so have no idea much to my dcs chagrin 😂

wordler · 24/08/2022 18:38

Serenster · 24/08/2022 18:22

A “Stan” is an obsessive fan. 😀

(The term derives from Eminem’s hit song “Stan” in which he reads out increasingly angry and obsessive letters from a fictional fan called Stan).

I never knew the origin of that even though I understood what it meant!

Legrandsophie · 24/08/2022 18:40

Another bitter, ignorant royals thread by the usual suspects.

I do wish that people who were going to slag off the royal family had even the first understanding of what they were talking about. Read a book about the basis of a constitutional monarchy and find out exactly how the royal family is actually funded before going on and on about tax payer’s money.

There is a total lack of understanding about what the job is and how it works. Not helped by an undertone of sour grapes.

And the thread title is hilariously over the top. It should read- family moves into grandmother’s spare home. It belongs to the crown, not to them. They haven’t bought it. Not sure how it environmentally unfriendly to move out of one house and into another. People do it all the time.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 24/08/2022 19:32

(Stan) derives from Eminem’s hit song “Stan” in which he reads out increasingly angry and obsessive letters from a fictional fan called Stan

Well, yoiu live and learn - I'd always thought it was a portmanteau of "stalker" and "fan"

JemimaPuddlegoose · 24/08/2022 21:11

we are to take it that William was so jealous of Harry’s address to the handful of attendees

And still far more people will come to see PW in New York making his speech than the dozen or so in attendance at the UN for Prince Harry’s

Are UN General Assemblies open to the general public? Was it known ahead of time that Harry would address the UN?

The confident belief that the people of NY will line up in droves to be talked at by a Brit with no particular expertise or qualifications who flew thousands of miles to lecture others about climate change is... touching. GrinGrinGrin

Regardless, being invited to address the UN Genera Assembly is clearly more prestigious than funding and organising your own little summit using your own "charity."

Heads of State, global business leaders, philanthropists and NGOs.

Who exactly are these Heads of State, global business leaders and philanthropists, then, given the Earthshot Summit have announced exactly one other name so far?

Not sure how it environmentally unfriendly to move out of one house and into another.

You aren't sure how it's more environmentally unfriendly to run three-four houses, at least two if not all of them fully staffed, and travel by helicopter between them, than to live in a single house?

CathyorClaire · 24/08/2022 21:14

Read a book about the basis of a constitutional monarchy and find out exactly how the royal family is actually funded

How about you summarise it for us?

There is a total lack of understanding about what the job is and how it works

Put us right, do.

And for those suggesting an unsung Wills is putting in a heavy duty six or so hours in headphones and paperwork every single day as well as all those 'engagements' do you not think it might be in his interests to show an increasingly restless and questioning audience of peasants exactly that?

Lack of transparency is one of the RF's biggest millstones.

Ohnonevermind · 24/08/2022 21:18

Sunshine Sachs did the big publicity push before and after the UN speech - trying to make it sound far more important and we’ll attended.

They know they’re flogging a dead horse but will keep cashing in the cheques.