King Charles To Get A 45% Pay Rise

[BuxFizz]

“The review of the Royal funding settlement was heavily spun by the Treasury to give the impression that the King would be taking a pay cut so the Crown Estates funds could instead be spent on public services.

In fact, the report reveals the Monarchy is due to receive a huge pay increase.

In 2025, the King’s public funding will increase by a projected £38.5 million.

Lord Turnbull, a former cabinet secretary and Whitehall’s most senior civil servant, who was involved in the official discussions accused the Treasury of seeking to obfuscate how the Monarchy was funded.

He said that linking the Royal finances to the profits of the Crown Estates was “silly” and motivated by a desire to promote the idea that the King was paying for himself and was reducing the burden on the taxpayer.

The complicated formula used to determine the Sovereign Grant was introduced in 2011 by then Prime Minister David Cameron, and his Chancellor George Osborne. Removing Parliament’s centuries old control over Royal funding. They created a new formula that tied the Monarch’s funding to a percentage of the profits of the Crown Estates.”

I’m surprised that this formula to calculate the Sovereign Grant was so recent, does anyone know how it was calculated before?

Also, the irony isn’t lost on me that this new formula was proposed by George Osborne, one the chief architects of Austerity.

King Charles Set To Receive A Huge Pay Rise From UK Taxpayers

Not if we took it off him he wouldn't.

It's like the sheriff of nottingham suddenly being given a percentage profit from.landthe city council owns, instead of a salary.

Always liked Robin Hood....

You do realise that, regrettably, they are correct about most of the public. You only have to read a few of the Kate/William - Meghan/Harry threads to see that the vast majority of people are more interested in a manufactured soap opera than facts. And that's before I even start in on how people decide what to vote for... There is a reason that critical thinking and similar skills are not curriculum subjects.

You only have to read a few of the Kate/William - Meghan/Harry threads to see that the vast majority of people are more interested in a manufactured soap opera than facts.

Very true.

I recently tried to drum up interest in reports that the brother of the king may have used the public service broadcaster paid for by the nation to lie to the nation about the extent of his contact with a convicted sex offender and while the responses were great there were only a handful.

You can read the obfuscation on this thread. Such as the suggestion that increased profits are due to a new king being in charge

Yes, that one was especially glaring, made worse because even the MSM included explanations about the wind farms in its coverage - so if the PP knew about this at all they must surely have seen the mentions?

Absolutely! 100% this!

Yup, agree!

Yes, they are doing us a favour in the name of service and duty (and hoarding wealth).

And then make public visits to charities and food banks at the expense of the public 🙃

Yes, it’s not like public sector workers have been striking for better pay during inflation and a cost of living crisis or anything ridiculous like that! 🫠

The increased allowance is also only temporary and to to be used for Buckingham palace renovations. Then it will be back to normal. I’m sure some people will still have an issue with this.

there are countless threads on mumsnet where people are looking for passive income, but people are only happy with this if they believe they are ‘deserving’.

handing over everything to the public and not having a link to a royal family would diminish the appeal to the UK, whether you want to believe that or not.

I do think that the idea the royal family sit and do nothing is a bit mad. Yes, they’re ‘lucky’ (although I wouldn’t want it) to be born into wealth. But Charles certainly has a huge amount of redeeming qualities and the face there’s such a huge profit on wind farms demonstrates his understanding at the need for change and seems to have managed to generate much more than the govt has even managed to. I actually think that’s the vision we need from governments..

The increased allowance is also only temporary and to to be used for Buckingham palace renovations. Then it will be back to normal. I’m sure some people will still have an issue with this

I don't believe that to be true. It has been explained elsewhere on MN that it's just a fudging of figures. The uplift for BP happened years ago and will continue. But it is a huge uplift for the RF too.

Buckingham Palace and the Treasury have not disputed that the Sovereign Grant will increase significantly in coming years. That's an official statement.

But Charles certainly has a huge amount of redeeming qualities and the face there’s such a huge profit on wind farms

He's only interested in it because he owns the sea beds, the portfolio swelled to £5billion when the canny Queen made a play and acquired them.
I don't doubt his green credentials but they are not at the expense of anything.

the face there’s such a huge profit on wind farms demonstrates his understanding at the need for change and seems to have managed to generate much more than the govt has even managed to.

Charles does not manage the crown estate, my understanding is he has had nothing t do with the wind farms at all. SO I do not think he shoudl be given credit for this. This should be our seabed, entirely our profit. It's a disgrace it was added to the crown estate and that they benefit at all. They do not need it.

It seems that even if something is declared, then you’ll refuse to believe it because it doesn’t fit in with your beliefs. Of course they can’t commit to not upping the grant- no work place, government etc would ever do that in regards to any costs atm.

You clearly are anti monarchy, which is fine. But it isn’t as black and white as you think it is- there are people, with personalities and feelings, and many many members of staff. So it’s definitely more nuanced than you think.

Of course it doesn’t seem fair that they have been gifted and easy life in terms of money. But my husband and I were born into very different families, in lots of ways, and that’s just the way of the world. It would be if we were also living in an anarchic, or even socialist, state too.

We already give them massively more than other European royal families

Lots of other royal families get £10-15m, ours got £130 before this increase. Next most lavish in the Netherlands get £44m

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/apr/05/windsors-v-borbons-comparing-the-public-pay-of-european-royal-families

Which translates to: won't someone think of the butlers? How could we possibly stop giving them this money that we give them?

Of course they can’t commit to not upping the grant- no work place, government etc would ever do that in regards to any costs atm

This makes perfect sense; however the issue isn't that the grant may go up, but that arrangements have been put in place so it can never go down, and that's certainly not something which any cost-conscious body would agree to

there are people, with personalities and feelings, and many many members of staff

Yes. Over 2,000.

Any business has people with personalities and feelings.

What gets me is, they never ever try to cut down, cut back, it is through and through greed. Like the Queen applying for the state poverty fund to heat the castles until it was pointed out to her that it was for schools, hospitals, housing associations and to help the vulnerable.
And the recent announcement that Charles is going to turn the heating down, and even the swimming pool temperatures will be lowered!
They must think the general public are stupid to accept all of this.

Again, you seem unable to think of it in a more nuanced form. And this retort supports that.

i agree with you @CathyorClaire and I despair at the garbage royalists repeat on here .

But I’m not so sure that the Windsors stay where they are because the public is stupid.
Yes it helps to be stupid if you want to be a royalist - I’ve seen the interviews at royal events.

But I think ( maybe it’s hope or just my peers ) the majority of the uk do not support the Windsors and would vote no if asked about keeping them .
Which is why every stop is being pulled out by the establishment to stop that from happening.

Just look at the reporting of issues over recent weeks.
I have found it very disquieting to say the least

The manipulation ( silence on some issues , highlighting others ) is so clear

That's interesting @Novella4

I do think Charles has an uphill struggle. How on earth does he follow on from the Queen, beloved by so many.

And it was so interesting to hear Tom Bower (a through and through Royalist) .. he said C&C were tired, not enthusiastic about their roles, wanting to do the bare minimum, he hinted that Camilla's health was not that good, and I got from it that it's all a bit knife edge. Maybe I was reading too much into it, who knows.

Huge manipulation yes. All they can do is keep hope the media focusses on how awful M&H are, and wait for K&W to take the throne.

What does this even mean? What 'nuance' do you think is missing?

It seems that even if something is declared, then you’ll refuse to believe it because it doesn’t fit in with your beliefs. Of course they can’t commit to not upping the grant- no work place, government etc would ever do that in regards to any costs atm.

Who is this to? What declaration are you talking about? The sovereign grant was 15%, it went up to 25%, apparently for repairs at BP, and then its only going down in percentage because suddenly the seabed they stole is going to give whopping returns and it would look completely outrageous for them to take 25% of that. The figure though, is a massive increase that they do not need at all. They have 5 less senior royals, and we are in a cost of living crisis as this is announced. ALL returns from offshore wind should be for the public. That seabed belongs to our country, it should never have been given to them. I think it's outrageous its part of the crown estate and completely greedy of the late Queen.
The point about the grant not decreasing is important. It was sold to us as something tied to the crown estate and would reflect the economic status the entire country was in. Only it is not. It has a clause that states that even if the returns or profits decrease, they will get the same as the year before and it will not reflect the state of the economy at all. This has come into effect twice, and the treasury topped them up with more of our money. It's disgusting. oh and if they do not need all the sovereign grant, if it isn't spent, they get to stash that away as an extra slush fund for anything like, repairs to buildings... hang on, we give them more when that happens don't we? Dodgy fuckers.

Because you have taken from what I have written, one simplistic point and tried to convey it was unimportant.

There is a cost of living crisis, the profit from wind farm was given to the government because of this. but I still don’t think either issue have much to do with the other. The monarchy didn’t cause and nor can it reverse the cost of living crisis. You conflating the two issues I’d because of you fundamentally idealistic views. Which is fine. It was also a labour government who allowed the crown to be able to set up this business, which I actually think is rather smart. It’s essentially a private company benefitting the state- similarities to Aramco and Norway.

Yet, you aren’t interested in the practicalities. You ideologically disagree with the monarchy and so you are unable to see any other perspective or understand the complexity surrounding a hundreds of years old institution linked to the constitution and, as you point out so often, to the economy. I’m guessing you’d only be happy if they were dismantled; and then probably still unhappy with any settlement. But you are, of course, entitled to that opinion.

So, I’ll bow out.

(The Sovereign Grant) was sold to us as something tied to the crown estate and would reflect the economic status the entire country was in. Only it is not

Of course it's not, Iwantcakeeveryday; it was only ever going to be another way of gouging yet more, with the added charm of avoiding the very limited scrutiny which went with the periodic reviews of the Civil List

In all honesty I'm surprised they didn't just continue to take the 25% and be done with it - it's not as if anyone would have done a damned thing about it, but I suppose a few PR crumbs have to be scattered occasionally for the benefit of those who'll look no further

There is a cost of living crisis, the profit from wind farm was given to the government because of this. but I still don’t think either issue have much to do with the other. The monarchy didn’t cause and nor can it reverse the cost of living crisis. You conflating the two issues I’d because of you fundamentally idealistic views. Which is fine. It was also a labour government who allowed the crown to be able to set up this business, which I actually think is rather smart. It’s essentially a private company benefitting the state- similarities to Aramco and Norway.

Nobody said anything about the royals solving the cost of living crisis, but this is money they do not need and shouldn't have, and all of it would help enormously. Don;t minimise the value of that kind of money and how it could be used to help the most needy in society, or used to pay our essential workers what they deserve. It's all revenue from the country's assets, which I think should belong to the people. It should not be part of the crown estate, it was transferred in 1964.

You ideologically disagree with the monarchy and so you are unable to see any other perspective or understand the complexity surrounding a hundreds of years old institution linked to the constitution and, as you point out so often, to the economy.

Yes, I do not agree with an elitist system where someone is born into a position which means they and their family collect money form the tax payer to live a life of luxury, exempting themselves from laws which apply to everyone else. Its medieval and inappropriate in a modern world. I do not see the value to the economy because there has never been a reliable analysis to be able to actually calculate their cost to us and the value we would not otherwise have.

Thanks for that article AuntieJune

Very interesting to see a comparison of the costs of the various monarchies laying bare the inflated sums allocated to our own.

It also contains a link to an investigation of Queen's Consent (now presumably King's Consent) detailing how the monarch and heir can meddle in proposed legislation which looks like an informative read.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/series/queens-consent

The Queen and Charles made the most of the opportunity. Wonder if Willy has tried his new powers on for size yet.

Annual Cost of Royal,House per taxpayer. Make of it what you will.
Belgium. €3.15
Denmark €2.30
Netherlands €2.40
Norway. €9.70
Spain. €0.16
Sweden. €1.30
UK. €0.70
Netherlands and Norway don’t pay any tax.
Source: wikipedia