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The royal family
Original poster

In 3 years a Jubilee, Coronation, 2 x state funerals - how much?

146 replies

4plusthehound · 07/05/2023 14:08

Seriously - since 2021 we have had 4 massive events.

Why is it so hard to find the costs / spend.

Not the usual "a pound per person, worth it, billions in tourisim".

Transparent, freely available, hard core numbers?

How much did we, as a nation, spend on these events in the past three years?

It should be easy.

OP posts:
Original poster
4plusthehound · 07/05/2023 20:25

SheldontheWonderSchlong · 07/05/2023 15:46

@4plusthehound
Might be worth adding in the money lost from the lack of inheritance tax on the Queen's estate as well!

Absolutely!

In my opinion the amount thy do not pay in tax - on inheritance, on property portfolios, on allowences given by the government PLUS all the extras for various celebrations of them add to the total cost.

And I bet that the numbers are really significant, and far more than the pretty one pound something senario.

OP posts:
Original poster
4plusthehound · 07/05/2023 20:27

notimagain · 07/05/2023 15:49

You do have to pay for armed forces and police accommodation who were brought to London for the coronation

Can’t talk for the police but don’t forget a lot of the army contingent, especially the ceremonial “specialists”, are stationed in London anyway ( e.g at places such Hyde Park and Wellington Barracks).

From what I’ve heard most of the others HM Forces involved (e.g. RN, RAF) were accommodated in MOD accommodation in and around London…we’re certainly not talking about paying 5 star hotel rack rates.

They say it was the largest military dispaly in 75years.

Therefore we are talking quantity.

OP posts:
AnneElliott · 07/05/2023 20:34

In relation to the policing arrangements op some will be on overtime and others will be on their normal shift and therefore won't cost us any extra. Others will be working on a rest day and will need the est day back sometime in the next 3 months - which their force will need to schedule in.

The cabinet office will publish the total costs (including policing and security) once the costs are all in and known. They do this after all major events.

AnneElliott · 07/05/2023 20:38

wildinthecountry · 07/05/2023 15:55

@notimagain No of course we are not talking 5* accommodation but they do also get allowances , although it may have changed since we left .

The £50 and £80 overnight allowances are still in existence and cause a fair amount of angst!!

Original poster
4plusthehound · 07/05/2023 20:39

RancidOldHag · 07/05/2023 17:56

What troubles me about this idea is that it seems to be wishing that ER II had died before the Jubilee.

Because that's the only way that the number of ceremonies would have been lower.

State funeral is followed by a coronation (the two ends, IYSWIM, of a change in monarch)

Philip didn't have a state funeral - he had a royal ceremonial funeral (as did Diana, as did HMQM) and his was as slim as it could be, given that it was during covid and entirely within Windsor Castle. Last State funeral (before ER II) was Winston Churchill - a popular decision (in both senses of the word).

I am not wishing anyone had timed a death and so on.

We should ask questions about amount spent in our name and we should get clear, transparent answers.

We live in a democracy and have the right to this information in my opinion.

I think we can agree that scale should be questioned here.

There are examples round the world of royals toning it down. We could have had a very grand ceromony yesterday that was scaled down.

Was there a coronation dinner last night with all the heads of state and other royals? How much was that? Was that our cost? Or did everyone go staright home. There are no pictures.

OP posts:
Original poster
4plusthehound · 07/05/2023 20:44

ThinkTheresBeenAGlitch · 07/05/2023 18:45

People are very confidently assuming Charles will live as long as his parents, and reign until his death as his mother did - I mean, I know royals benefit from healthcare the rest of us can only dream of and so do tend to stay well and mobile into very old age but it isn't guaranteed. Forgive a slightly morbid tastelessness here, but we could have more state funerals (will Camilla ultimately have one?) and a coronation far sooner than George's wedding, should he choose to marry. And I certainly would like to know the cost and benefit to the public of these lavish events particularly when the Tory government are always arguing for austerity. I don't understand how anyone can justify secrecy around the numbers - if you're convinced it leaves the country in profit, why wouldn't you welcome the publication of the actual figures so we can all see?

I don't understand how anyone can justify secrecy around the numbers - if you're convinced it leaves the country in profit, why wouldn't you welcome the publication of the actual figures so we can all see?

Exactly!

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CubeMorphine · 07/05/2023 20:53

Gosh, now you mention it, it was terribly entitled of Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth to die in the midst of a financial crisis for the country. What were they even thinking? And for Queen Elizabeth to have been on the throne for 70 years, have a jubilee celebration AND die in the same year, leading to a coronation less than a year later- well! What a frivolous old lady she was!

Original poster
4plusthehound · 07/05/2023 20:53

polkadotdalmation · 07/05/2023 19:59

Another republican thread with an axe to grind.

The funeral and the coronation inevitably go together. Hopefully it'll be quiet from now on.
Its good for tourism and our worldwide visibility so helps exports. Its an impossible figure to calculate because of the checks and balances.

Another republican thread with an axe to grind.

I am a republican but also a great believer in democracy (I have no axe to grind). I accept that we will have a royal family until there are more republicans.

Within that, I have many questions about the privillaged positon they enjoy, the money they can make, the exception to many rules they enjoy and yes, how much they cost.

Because, in my brain the money we spend versus the so called billions they bring in via tourisim does not add up.

We Brits produce so much that has a world impact that I suspect the argument.

When there is a lack of transparency around the numbers then I really suspect the argument.

OP posts:
Original poster
4plusthehound · 07/05/2023 20:57

AnneElliott · 07/05/2023 20:34

In relation to the policing arrangements op some will be on overtime and others will be on their normal shift and therefore won't cost us any extra. Others will be working on a rest day and will need the est day back sometime in the next 3 months - which their force will need to schedule in.

The cabinet office will publish the total costs (including policing and security) once the costs are all in and known. They do this after all major events.

This is actualy iformation. Thank you @AnneElliott

I know an Anne Elliot in real life! 😁

OP posts:
AnneElliott · 07/05/2023 20:58

Does the Anne Elliott you know get annoyed with the Austen references op?

Original poster
4plusthehound · 07/05/2023 21:01

CubeMorphine · 07/05/2023 20:53

Gosh, now you mention it, it was terribly entitled of Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth to die in the midst of a financial crisis for the country. What were they even thinking? And for Queen Elizabeth to have been on the throne for 70 years, have a jubilee celebration AND die in the same year, leading to a coronation less than a year later- well! What a frivolous old lady she was!

This is a terrible way to make your point.

In order to achieve what I think you want to achieve it would need some wit and more humour.

OP posts:
Original poster
4plusthehound · 07/05/2023 21:03

AnneElliott · 07/05/2023 20:58

Does the Anne Elliott you know get annoyed with the Austen references op?

Well - like most situations, if she likes the speaker it goes down well!

OP posts:
wildinthecountry · 07/05/2023 21:10

To be honest the OP is not being unreasonable, whether you are for or against the government should be transparent about costs . ( of anything really )

Cantstandbullshitanymore · 07/05/2023 21:25

4plusthehound · 07/05/2023 14:08

Seriously - since 2021 we have had 4 massive events.

Why is it so hard to find the costs / spend.

Not the usual "a pound per person, worth it, billions in tourisim".

Transparent, freely available, hard core numbers?

How much did we, as a nation, spend on these events in the past three years?

It should be easy.

We better start saving up as I expect we will have another state burial and coronation within 10 years given Charles age.

greenlychee · 07/05/2023 21:27

in some ways i think the gains for everyone for having a day off work or a day together as a family is worth more than the slight loss in GDP. it's not all about work work work

Reality · 07/05/2023 21:41

greenlychee · 07/05/2023 21:27

in some ways i think the gains for everyone for having a day off work or a day together as a family is worth more than the slight loss in GDP. it's not all about work work work

What day of work? We don’t all work in an office.

Reality · 07/05/2023 21:42

*off

QueueEtwo · 07/05/2023 21:43

Most of the RAF Contingent were staying in the Military accommodation at RAF Halton where they had been practising & were coached in & out again. So no accommodation costs for most of them!
But you would need to count the coach hire I guess!

That's why it's so hard to put a price on lots of it! Some of it will be lots of smaller amounts!

greenlychee · 07/05/2023 21:59

@Reality bank holiday weekend extra day.

Original poster
4plusthehound · 07/05/2023 22:06

greenlychee · 07/05/2023 21:27

in some ways i think the gains for everyone for having a day off work or a day together as a family is worth more than the slight loss in GDP. it's not all about work work work

But we are just coming off almost a year off with Covid. We had tines of time then for family etc.

OP posts:
QueueEtwo · 07/05/2023 22:08

You might have had a year off OP but I worked through bloody all of it! As did a lot of people!

I'm always grateful for a Bank Holiday!

wildinthecountry · 07/05/2023 22:08

QueueEtwo · 07/05/2023 21:43

Most of the RAF Contingent were staying in the Military accommodation at RAF Halton where they had been practising & were coached in & out again. So no accommodation costs for most of them!
But you would need to count the coach hire I guess!

That's why it's so hard to put a price on lots of it! Some of it will be lots of smaller amounts!

I would wonder if any costs to the armed forces came out of the MOD budget 'cos I wouldn't put it past this Government to do that .

GOW56 · 07/05/2023 22:13

Boring to you maybe but not to me.

Not to me either. At a time when our public services are on their knees and people have to rely on food banks I want to know how much money has been spent on these events in the last couple of years

QueueEtwo · 07/05/2023 22:14

Oh yes it will definitely fall to the MoD but it must make up part of the overall cost!

Otherwise it wouldn't be so expensive would it? So police costs will fall to the Met & other regional police forces but that must still be factored in?

The Govt aren't goi h to give each Dept a wedge to cover it! 🙄 sadly!

AnneElliott · 07/05/2023 22:29

The Government will be paying the additional policing costs. They did after the funeral and the jubilee. Lots of the smaller forces couldn't cover the costs themselves of sending their officers on mutual aid. And even the Met with its massive £2.4bn budget couldn't cover it either.