How Can This Be Justified

Is it really a family of three? Don't they have a nanny and other employees?

If they have a Nanny and other employees, does that Justify it all?

I wonder how much money would be available if they relied on voluntary contributions? x

I wasn't concerning myself about the justification or otherwise of it, only questioning whether it really is a three-person household. Presumably there are security personnel as well as a nanny? Funny how little we know.

J52 funny I think if it were down to public contributions they would be living in a Garden Shed.......

J52 I think it is reported to be about 66p a year for each of us. It would be interesting to see how many would pay that if it was voluntary. Not going to happen then is it ? Maybe we could do a poll.

I'm also wondering how much rent they pay as many of the royal residences are own by 'us'.

That looks like my phase 8 silver sequin dress she's wearing! How dare she!
(Looks better on her than on me

)

Has anyone read The Queen and I by Sue Townsend?

I read somewhere that Carol Middleton will have her own quarters for when she's on granny duty. My granny quarters usually consist of a sofa bed in the living room with the downstairs loo as an 'ensuite'

I read the Sue Townsend book when it came out a few years ago. Amusing!
However, there are some real issues about having such excess paraded about in the media, when so many young families are having a hard time. Just my personal thought! X

I agree with you J52 when so many young families are finding it really hard they seem to be "rubbing our face in it" somewhat. Obviously things like recessions, austerity, cut backs etc. do not effect these people who float along on their own little cloud.

Just wondering does one need to be on "granny duty" when one has access to a full time nanny anyway?

Maybe Granny Middleton just likes being on granny duty, like some of the grans on here. Maybe the nanny gets time off even.

No, I'm not a royalist.

Oh surely they have a back up nanny for when nanny number one is having time off. How on earth could they possibly manage otherwise?

The 'granny' appartments were talked about when they said they would not have a nanny because they were just a couple who wanted to bring up their child in a normal atmosphere. So, not needed now. They will have to redecorate .

I think a case could be made that nearly all redecorating is "unjustifiable" if the rooms in question are habitable without redecoration, which I expect the ones at KP are. I'm sure many people redecorate their homes for relatively superficial reasons.

Why would Will and Kate be any different? Especially if someone else pays.

Exactly "if someone else pays" thatbags. You can be sure they won't be going round B & Q looking for wallpaper bargains in order to brighten the place up a little bit.

This is from the article in the Mirror:
"It emerged earlier this month that Kate has decided to redecorate the interior of Apartment 1A because she was unhappy with the colour scheme.

A source close to the Palace stressed that interior furnishings and decorating costs are paid for privately and not by the taxpayer. The holidays to the Maldives and Mustique were also paid for by the royals themselves."

No problem then.

The taxpayers costs include the removal of asbestos. It seems to be about modernising to make the apartment "fit" for W&K and the baby. The decorating isn't being paid for by taxpayers.

The rest of the renovations are being paid for by the tax payer though. Fair enough if 'we' own the building but as I said before how much rent are they paying us ?

They may not always be a family of three. Perhaps they expect to have a few more. It would be a pity if wee Georgie were to be an only child.

If they are (as often suggested) doing a "job", then the home provided should be taxable or else they should pay full market value in rent.

Not forgetting of course that they are "just like any other young couple with a baby" yeah right!

I wonder how many kids they would need to have to fill that place anno ?not forgetting nannies, servants, butlers, cooks, bottlewashers, toothpaste squeezers.....................

How ever many more children they have , unless it runs into double figures , 20 rooms does seem a bit excessive IMO