C4 Dispatches on Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster

[Babadookinthewardrobe]

I couldn’t find another thread on this. I watched this yesterday. I am so angry. The royal family are grim parasites funding their luxury lifestyle from the sweat of the British people. Via the duchies they are rinsing the NHS and charities for millions. It’s horrific. No IHT, no CGT, no transparency, no consideration for the environment of which they are supposed to be stewards in the duchies.

Their behaviour and greed is absolutely grim
and I am so sick of the lot of them. I’m joining republic, I’m so shocked at what I’ve just seen. The French had the right idea.

I really like King Charles. I think he's a geninuely nice person and we're short enough of those in the world already. I think it's great that we have a nice person in a respected role.

Apparently the programme has been postponed a few times, so I am guessing that quite a bit more has had to be cut out to get it on air at all.

Well said.

I would love to know how much that coronation, for a so called slimed down monarchy, cost the country, in real money.

The coach costs would interesting.

The security, accomodation, transport, and private dinners for all the heads of state and other royals would be an interesting place to start.

All the king did in his lavish celebration of himself was to establish from the get go, that he is a vain, greedy, little man.

A least it was honest I suppose.

The Queen who made sure her son inherited £500m tax free.

We think.

In reality, we have no clue.

Plenty of people read this board, and they would not be in a position to know that when you said that unincorporated associations have tax obligations, what you actually meant was that the individuals who are involved with and receive any profits from those associations have personal tax liabilities. So I dont think the clarification was tedious. It’s important not to spread misinformation.

Yes. And unusually it is only available to stream for 30 days. I bet that was written in.

So.....he's worse then.

The more recent ones all seem to be on that length (I've just looked others from recent weeks and one has 14 days left, another has 7)

Older ones seem to reappear and then stick around for longer.

It's not a particularly unusual arrangement

Are you being sarcastic here? On what do you base your claim that he is 'genuinely nice' when there is so much evidence, including that highlighted in the documentary, that indicates he is probably actually greedy and arrogant? Being genial in public (some of the time) can't make up for that.

We also know that he was happy to go ahead with a ludicrously extravagant coronation to glorify himself, at the time when so many people were struggling with a cost of living crisis and in the aftermath of Covid. That reflects very poorly on him too.

I genuinely can’t tell if this is disingenuous or malicious misinformation?

From the Channel 4 website FAQ:

How long are the programmes available to download for?
The majority of downloadable programmes will be available to download for 30 days after broadcast.

https://www.channel4.com/4viewers/faqs/category/36/nature_of_issue/536/device_used/346#:~:text=How%20long%20are%20the%20programmes,for%2030%20days%20after%20broadcast.

The KING is charging his own people to have ambulances 🤦

In the old days weren't Kings supposed to provide for their subjects??

This is the modern royal family now 🤣🤣🤣 grifters of the highest order

That’s Parliament’s job these days and it is they who require the King to charge a commercial rate for leasing the Duchy land.

It seems that the King no longer feels any sense of responsibility, kinship or love for his people. He is happy for them to languish on hospital trolleys dying while his billionaire family hoovers up money the nhs could be spending on beds.

I don’t care about any bleatings that he is charging market rates. He should not be - not unless he pays his taxes like everyone else.

King Charles and his family are despicable. Leeches on the national.

No I don't buy that. Please quote the piece of legislation which forces the King to charge rent regardless of his wishes; when his own representatives are insistent that it is a private estate.

The role of the Government is to allocate money from public funds ie through taxes. From which he & his family are exempt; as the Duchies are exempt from corporation & capital gains tax. If he & his family cared about the people during this time of hardship they would forgo this money and would be keen to pay taxes along with everyone else.

The 11 million for the NHS building was over 15 years not bad for prime London real estate
a lot of the amounts given in the programme were like this eg the school paying £600,000 actually is paying £15,000 ish a year so again not too unreasonable really

I find it more outrageous that they charge the MoD money for them to use the training area seen as though they specifically serve King and country. Schools is grim too, interesting how lots are focused on the NHS.

The king also reduced his working hours due to medical problems but raised his salary very generously. Pure greed. Despicable people!

No I don't buy that.

I mean.., fine for you, but the law is the law!

I have quoted th Treasury’s own rules on this topic upthread, which also referred to the Act’s requirements, you are free to go back and read it.

Well it absolutely stinks Serenster and the royal family should be bitterly ashamed of themselves for continuing to profit from it. Literally profiting from the hardship of their people. Despicable and shameful.

Nobody is forcing them to do any of this @Serenster - it is all their own choice.

This is another case of things that were logical and well known being presented as news. The Crown Estate is run as a business (as are all functioning estates). The Duchy of Lancaster and The Duchy of Cornwall are Estate managed
in behalf of the current holder- this case William and Charles.

If the estate rents out lands (which is a valid part of that enterprise) then they can set the rents. Royal rents for use of Crown lands has been part of the system of monarchy since the days of Oswald of Bernicia.

These rents then go back into the privy purse to pay for building, estate management etc.

It’s very much not a surprise that a well
managed estate is renting out land/amenities in return for rents. Do we know if these rents are above/below market rate? Is there a reason (NHS isn’t a charity so might no legally be able to make contracts for peppercorn rent). The article is very much lacking in specifics which makes it easy to make it look like this was done deceitfully, rather than being normal operating procedure. Does it include any of these charities that receive peppercorn rents on Duchy lands? Does it include any detail on the contracts with the NHS, how they were agreed and the governance in this area. No.

It’s a hatchet job.

And again - lobby parliament to change this, because as it currently stands the royal family have to abide by the rules that parliament sets for them. They’d be equally (and rightly) criticised for ignoring laws you know.

It’s a complete moral failure by the royal family @Bontonbonbon

No, Treasury literally oversees the transactions of the Duchies and requires them to be at commercial rates, and that this be proved. Treasury literally has published its document saying this.