Kate's clothes bill

The amount of business The Dutchess brings into the fashion industry must be a vast amount and well done to her,I may not be in the position to spend that amount but if I could I would and why not I would come shopping with you dorsetpennt what a ball we would have ?
On vampires comment yesterday about tourists not coming for the Royals and only visiting for the historical value of England,I was under the impression that the Royals where part of our history

I can't believe how agitato some people have got on this thread which was started as a bit of a laugh. However, like annobel and probably em if she read it, my blood ressure went up a few notches!! North Britain is not all one tartan-wearing conurbartion with Nessie at one end of Princes Street and the castle perched upon a huge chunk of Edinburgh rock at the other!
(42 years ago for me annobel it just doesn't seem possible!)

At least the Obamas were voted in fairly dorsetpennt which is more than can be said for the money grabbing royals !

The actual figure spent is well over 100k and I wouldn't even begin to want to waste it on clothes its obscene, but there again that's the royals for you.

We aren't goibng to agree with this one gillybob we'll agree to disagree

I'm with dorsetpennt and glammanana on this one. Although I don't count myself as a Royalist - I do think that they do a difficult job rather well. And, yes, it is a difficult job - how many of us would choose to do it? I know I wouldn't

I agree, yogagran. Just because they didn't have to work themselves up from the bottom doesn't make them parasites - none of them actually chose to be born into that family. Some of the lesser ones probably don't deserve all the privileges they get just for being royalty, but the senior ones do what they're there to do. I wouldn't class myself as a Royalist either, but I can't get worked up about the unfairness of it all - there's unfairness everywhere.

I felt quite sad reading this forum. I wouldn't have the Queen's job for all the tea in China. Nor would I wish my daughter to be married into the royal family. They are followed mercilessly by the press,and in my opinion, they have very little private life. They are damned if they do and damned if they don't!!! So to speak!
I am a royalist, but only for those who appeared on the balcony at the Jubilee week-end. I cannot be bothered with the hangers on and I think the queen has recognised that the public think the same, hence the whittling down of those on that balcony.
Having USA relatives and watching all the palaver, and millions of dollars, that goes into electing a president, I do think we are better off with what we have.

I assumed this was a question relating to our clothes, not royalist v republican. If we didn't have a royal family, we would have to "invent" someone to take on all those charity appearances, factory openings, hospital visits, etc. While I wouldn't go to the end of the road to see the royal family, I know many people who have met one or other royal; they were made to feel special, loved every minute and will remember the moment for a lifetime. I would hate to have the job, the endless smiling, standing, chatting to a row of complete strangers - it sounds like hard work to me.
As for the clothes - I had just deleted the Hotter shoes e-mail I received, have no money for such fripperies, so just £1,000 would be lovely, please!

I agree with grandmanorm
I think the royal family do a marvellous job on the whole.
I would not want an 'elected' family to represent us!

I think that it is obscene when anyone spends such a vast amount of money on clothes. I have to accept that there will probably always be those that are richer than others but when some people are able to spend an amount on clothing that exceeds the average salary of hard working people then something is very wrong with society! I don't buy all this belief that we need royalty to promote sales & business for the fashion and tourist industry.

Would any of us have paid any attention at all to this if it was not for the economic downturn?
Maybe, I don't know.

But I do know that the rest of the world is aghast at the power of the British Press.

Please dont' say it was Murdoch. It was always thus.

I have always (well since I was at college) felt that large expenditure on luxuries and the salaries gap between those in jobs that make a profit and those that provide essential services needed to be narrowed. That gap is more noticeable in an economic downturn!

I don't go in for conspicuous consumption myself ( chance would be a fine thing) but those who do provide direct employment for hundreds, maybe thousands, of people and indirectly for many more. To say nothing of the entertainment whether looking at the Queen's diamonds - just been on telly - or venting our envious spleen.

lilygran,

My mum is a similar age to the queen. In her life she has:
worked in a small grocery shop
worked as a GPO telephonist
worked in a butchers
worked in a fish shop
worked in a hospital as a ward housekeeper
worked in a bakery
worked in sweet factory
worked in a metal can factory
worked in a school kitchen as a school cook
worked in a pub kitchen
whilst at the same time running a home and bringing up a family.

Please explain to me what work the royals do. Surely you can't class shaking a few hands and smiling as work.

I forgot to mention that since she retired my mum has been a volunteer at a Sue Ryder home
been a volunteer driver who took people to and from hospital appointments
taken care of my sister's children so that she could work
takes her elderly neighbours shopping/to the hairdressers etc
helps to care for a neighbour who is in the first stages of dementia

Well said vampirequeen Similarly to your mum, my 96 year old grandma has worked and I mean really worked . She has struggled all her life any only recently brags that she is very well off when in fact what she means is that she can keep herself warm and eat fairly well.

The royals wouldn't know work if it hit them in the face and I think to flaunt their obscene wealth at this time of hardship is shameful .

I don't regard what the royals do as work, but I don't think they do harm either (except perhaps for some of Charles's nuttier ideas; he means well ). A lot of people seem to need a "show" that they feel represents their country. That's all it is. I wouldn't vote for it but I think a majority might.

The main thing in favour of a republican presidency is that more people get a chance to be part of the "show", not only those born into certain families. I don't think it would cost any less, but that isn't really the point for me. A republic gives greater fairness of opportunity, at least in theory.

I have to accept that the majority of people probably would vote for queenie et al and up to a point they are benign but they symbolise much that I cannot endorse.
It is not envy ..I am content with my lovely home, great family and the funds I have earned to live a pleasant and comfortable life.

I just cannot understand why people feel such admiration and warmth for the royals. My life would not be any worse or better without them and it is that lack of impact on the 'ordinary' folk in juxtoposition with their celebrity status that I find odd! That would also apply to some other celebs too!

Today it's been announced that Prince Charles' cut of our taxes has increased to just under £2 million. Plus he gets £18million from the Duchy of Cornwall. I admit he pays over £4million in tax but tbh he still seems to be in profit to me.

If you can't manage on £18m there is something wrong with you isn't there??? Let me try if for a year or two and I will let you know!

Why does a middle aged couple require staff costing £7 million?

OK so
PA staff x 2 i.e. 1 each
a social secretary to maintain diary
an admin secretary to respond to letters etc
a PR person to write speeches etc
a political advisor
a team leader to keep above in order

personal staff x 2 for Highgrove and London
chauffeur
cook
housekeeper
cleaners /maids/ waiting staff
valets/butlers/dressers
gardeners
grooms
handyman
boot boy

Not sure about the business e.g Duchy of Cornwall biscuits etc does it self fund??


people will argue that it is providing employment and he ought to have twice as many on the pay roll!

Has anyone noticed that the Duchess never seems to stop talking?

I have noticed that, whitewave even when she's sitting next to the Queen. Maybe it's nerves or maybe she's afraid of looking bored or doesn't want to be branded shy like Diana.