The queen is 90 this year and "Britain's Biggest Street Party" will be held along the Mall to celebrate the occasion. Invitees include people from 628 national and commonwealth charities. Good idea, you might say, to give some small recognition and reward for the work they carry out. The only catch is that each charity will have to pay £1,500 per table of 10, i.e. £150 per person. The charge apparently includes a picnic M&S lunch, Pimms, tea and ice cream, some "wandering minstrels" and a plastic poncho in case it rains. 40% of the tickets may be sold on (presumably to the highest bidders, which will no doubt (as with the 2012 Olympics) include a fair contingency of corporate fat cats).
As Rosie Millard said in The I Doesn't anyone know that it is really bad form to charge people to attend one's birthday party?
I feel it's especially inappropriate when the host of this party has a fortune of £1.9 bn and eight residences. Additionally, her grandson, Peter Phillips, the director of Sports & Entertainment Limited, is being paid an "undisclosed" fee for organising the celebration.
Rosie Millard adds: So, people who work for Great Ormond Street Hospital, Cancer Research UK,, even the Dogs Trust are paying a relation of the queen to organise a party for the queen, who, when I last looked, was one of the richest women in the world.
I admit to not being a fan of the monarchy, but, frankly, I agree with Rosie Millard that it's a "right royal rip-off".
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