If it's true that we are paying the PoW 1.5 million a year rent for Dartmoor prison...

[CurlewKate]

...among many other things, do you think that's OK? If so, why?

I’d rather live in a old wooden window cottage with log burners, back boiler and arga than some of those new pop up post stamp monstrosities that are apparently eco friendly tbh 🤷🏻‍♀️

"Apparently last year Charles made a billion profit from off shore wind farms because someone decided he owns the seabed."

Yes- no wonder he's so green!

He owns the foreshore, by the way. Out to 12 miles round about half Britain. You have to get a licence from him to farm or gather seaweed.

I’m sure when the rule or law that made the shore the king or queens land they new exactly that wind turbines would exist in the sea. This time travelling lizards 🤣

The profits were earned by the Crown Estate. 88% of all profits from the Crown estates goes to the treasury.

Have just bought the book "Who owns England" by Guy Shrubsole so looking forward to seeing Dispatches.

You would doubtless be surprised, but such claims are upheld in in international law.

In New Zealand by the way the indigenous Māori population have been held to have rights to exploit radio frequencies, despite the fact when they signed a treaty with the UK Crown in 1840 handing over some rights but preserving others, clearly no-one could have anticipated they would in future exist.

He owns the foreshore, by the way. Out to 12 miles round about half Britain. You have to get a licence from him to farm or gather seaweed.

This rule also means that in the UK, unlike in many other countries, beaches and access to the ocean is mostly completely free and open to the public. In Italy for example* * in some parts of the country, the entire coastline is privatised, and there is no public access.

Exactly.
People made deals that in theory one side likely thought would mean nothing and that were laughable. Turns out they where good deals in the future that nobody knew would be good deals.

Now the future people go omg that’s so not fair… they made a gamble it paid off get over it basically.

Yes, it's a convoluted way of paying the royals the 12%. It seems convoluted to me... I imagine this sort of obfuscation and financial smoke and mirrors is second nature to a certain sort of person.

And anyway let's not sneer at a 120 million. What would have happened to that 120 million without the royals? Would it have reverted to the offshore windfarms shareholders? Some of which are likely to be pension funds. Hopefully someone with knowledge of this will come along and explain.

Yes, it's a convoluted way of paying the royals the 12%. It seems convoluted to me... I imagine this sort of obfuscation and financial smoke and mirrors is second nature to a certain sort of person.

It’s really not.

The Crown Estate has a very detailed website, publishes annual reports, and is subject the Freedom Information Act. From all that transparent information you will see that the assets managed by The Crown Estate are assets owned by “the Crown” as an institution, not personally by the reigning Monarch.

The Monarch has no control over the estate and no involvement in its management. The website lists everyone who is a member of its Board, and its day to day executives. None of them are Royal Family members.

The primary statutory duty of these people is to maintain and enhance the Crown Estate’s value and the return obtained from it. They state their own purpose is “creating lasting and shared prosperity for the nation”. They return all their net profit to the Treasury, generating £4.1 billion for the nation's finances over the last decade.

Treasury then decides show much of this net profit gets paid to the Royal family.

Just catching up but- the royals have always claimed when it suits them and still do that the duchies are private estates not businesses despite the commercial activities the bodies undertake.

Just as an aside anyone else remember Charles growing his own trees on duchy land, selling them back to the duchy and walking off with £2m in the process?

Or that Highgrove was bought by the Duchy of Cornwall so the 'rent' he paid was recycled back to him in the form of Duchy profits?

Whole thing's always been a farce.

A reminder that the King voluntarily handed over all the income from the Crown Estate wind farms in the North Sea to the treasury. A sum
of £250 million a year over four years- making a billion pounds.

But sure- let’s pretend they’ve never paid tax.

I wonder then why Crown Estate properties are seemingly exempt from that provision resulting in an alleged fraudster occupying a luxury Mayfair flat with no evidence of rent being paid and allowing Harold to play fast and loose with the rental 'obligations' on Frogmore.

There's an obvious loophole in need of tightening.

A reminder that the King voluntarily handed over all the income from the Crown Estate wind farms in the North Sea to the treasury.

TLQ basically annexed the nation's seabeds back in the 1960's.

Handing back the windfall profits on them is the least Charles can do.

Like when the King at the time gave the Duke of Westminster’s ancestor a patch of swampy bog on the outskirts of what was the beginnings of the city of London in return for loyalty to the Crown.

That boggy piece of land ended up being Mayfair - which now is part of the 9 billion pound assets of the current Duke.

But it needed strategic managing over centuries to make it the asset it is today. And yes that strategy included some dodgy dealings with the government over tax by three Duke’s ago.

Or that Highgrove was bought by the Duchy of Cornwall so the 'rent' he paid was recycled back to him in the form of Duchy profits?

So the Duchy purchased a very valuable asset (in 1980 when they bought Highgrove the purchase price was estimated to be between £865k, it’s now worth £39m). And Charles has paid rent to live there when he could have just bought it personally and lived there for free? What a heel etc etc.

@CathyorClaire

I don’t see it as annexation. I see it as protection. How many countries have lost their seabed rights and costal access to private companies in the last few decades? Land owned by the crown is mostly open for the public. This is not the case when private enterprise swoops in and buys it all up.

But since it burns you so hard to have a monarchy let’s just fuck that all up and seek it off to the highest bidder so you can have the comfort of living in a republic. Those wonderful places without any government corruption and equality for all.

Did you miss the bit about the recycled profit?

He has lived there for free. Not so much now the rent's going into Willy's sky instead but still...

I don’t see it as annexation. I see it as protection.

I'm sure it was seen that way 60 odd years ago too 😂

Did you miss the bit about the recycled profit?

Not at all, but that’s not uncommon when people put assets into trust for future generations.

Is Highgrove in a trust?

Can you link?

I've just watched it and I'm horrified some people think it's ok .
Then again I'm an Independence voter .

It’s owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, as I believe you know, as you mentioned it upthread. Which puts it in a similar legal category.

Whoever is the Current Duke of Cornwall is not entitled to the proceeds or profit on the sale of capital assets held by the Duchy – they only receives the annual income which they generate. And legislation requires the Duchy to manage its assets for the benefit of future generations.

It’s owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, as I believe you know, as you mentioned it upthread. Which puts it in a similar legal category.

I didn't ask for 'similar'. You mentioned trusts.

Is it in one?

The honest answer here is that some posters would find an excuse if the royals killed puppies live on TV.

Actually they only killed the puppies because they were constitutionally obliged to, were very busy doing charity work, preparing very thoroughly for watching Wimbledon and anyway Meghan and Harry killed more puppies