Royals

If you put sovereign grant accounts into a Google search, you will get a PDF with a whole lot of information, probably more than you want.

For instance -
"Rates and council tax - £1.2m"

and

"Electricity
In 2015-16 approximately 7.8 million kWh (2014-15: 8.2 million kWh) were consumed across the Estate, a 4.9% reduction. The CHP units located at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle produced 2.5 million kWh electricity for use at these sites (2014-15: 2.6 million kWh).
The hydro-electric scheme at Romney Lock in Windsor produced 1.0 million kWh of renewable electricity for use at Windsor Castle (2014-15: 1.3 million kWh). Hydroelectricity output reduced this year due to equipment maintenance and low river levels."

You could do with experience in reading balance sheets and/or official documents to understand it all.

(The link is something like www.gov.uk/.../FINAL_Royal_Household_Annual_Report_2015-... but I can't get it to copy and paste properly, sorry)

Hear hear Annie bach

I don't attend football matches Jane, am I not allowed to post my opinions on the windsors? I don't like or dislike them, I don't know them . Do we pay for security for footballers? I am not upset by them, I do think such decadent life styles when we have so many sleeping on the streets is not what I expect from a family who are content to accept so many privileges yet keep telling the country how they care for the people

The Sovereign Grant is designed to be a more permanent arrangement than the old Civil List system, which was reign-specific. Funding for the Sovereign Grant comes from a percentage of the profits of the Crown Estate revenue (initially set at 15%). The grant will be reviewed every five years by the Royal Trustees (the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Keeper of the Privy Purse), and annual financial accounts will continue to be prepared and published by the Keeper of the Privy Purse.

The income comes from the Crown Estates. It is reviewed every five years; perhaps HM should join a Trades Union and get it reviewed every year.

sluttygran you were more cirucmspect than me

do Americans , Chinese, Australians , Europeans etc realy choose to visit the UK to see the windsors?

Can't speak for Americans as I don't know many, or for Europeans, but some Chinese and in particular many Australians are always very keen to ask about the Royal family. My favourite elderly Australian lady always asks me about 'Princess Kate' as if I know Kate personally
However, my SIL can't see the point of them at all.

I would think they, and the Americans, some of whom love the Royal family, are about 50/50 divided about them, as it seems people are on here.

Better than President Blair or Trump, being apolitical.

People like Green make me more annoyed.

I agree with Bellanonna above. Most people don't give a toss about the extent to which the taxpayer funds the Royal Family.

The Queen has done much to lift the popularity of the Royal Family after the death of Princess Diana and I can't see that changing as we seem to accept that this is how it should be, despite the fact that the Queen is a multi-billionaire.

I remember when Prince George was born that Susan Miller (an American astrologer) cast his birth chart and one of the positions in the chart was in the house of other people's money:

"In astrology, the Sun represents the place you shine in life. The house in which the Sun is found in your chart is also critical. In this case Prince George’s natal sun is found in his eighth house of other people's money"!

sc0tslassie - if taxpayers have to continue to support multi-billionaires, then I think that support should be limted to the Queen only. Even if the country's economy goes from bad to worse in future, it is extremely unlikely that politicians or the people will go down this road.

I'm pleased that younger Royals are speaking out about HIV testing and mental illness about and being patrons of worthy causes, but it seems that they are more than happy to carry on being supported by taxpayers and receiving all their privileges and we are more than happy for this to continue.

So do many overpaid footballers and so called celebs. If you don't like them don't bother reading about them if it upsets you so much. Put your energies into something more worthy of your time and leave us all to like and appreciate the Royal family.

I am not a republican but I do think this family could live a less decadent life style,

Charles has at least five homes, Camilla has one of her own as well, William has two, just those three have eight homes and we pay for round the clock security for all the properties the windsors own .

Kate had been criticised in the media for wearing High Street clothes and for wearing 'old' clothes which have been seen before. In other words, being like other people.

An incredibly privileged family with too many hangers on. Do we really need to support Andrew, Beatrice and Eugenie?

Yes they are. And the Duchy if Cornwall is given to him because he was the first born son, so he didn't buy it, work it, it was handed to him and just think how many could be helped of all that rent went into mental health charities, instead it keeps five adults and two children

The Cambridges and Harry do not receive any funding from us. They are funded by income from the Duchy of Cornwell.

Because we pay fir their upkeep

hulahoop - why is it important how many holidays they have or what their clothes cost (yawn)?

Well said jane10

Of course jane10 or maybe Paxman???

Apologies for being vague it was apparently 15 holidays in 8 months in 2015

Jeremy Clarkson,
The young royals talking about mental health issues makes it far harder for authorities to push mental health service development to the back of the queue. Them talking openly about their personal experience of bereavement and depression may certainly make others feel less alone.
If you're looking for direct practical stuff Harry works hard to help his charity in Africa and to help war veterans develop positive self esteem by organising all those treks and events. It is extremely mean spirited to decry their efforts. They do what they can in the circumstances in which they are born. Its all any of us can do.

Our eldest D and SIL have already had a week in Somerset at Christmas, a skiing holiday in Feb, , a week away at Easter (I forget where) are currently away in the Med for 10 days and take long weekends whoever there is a BH at their holiday/weekend place in Somerset. Oh and DD had a weekend in New York with 2 girlfriends as a 40th birthday celebration which they had saved for since their 30th birthdays.
Nice if you can get it, we can't and never could, but many young couples do get away whenever they can!
So Kate and Wills are nothing special.
Now what about Beatrice/Eugenie though (I can never remember which is which) . I read an article recently which reckoned whichever one it is has had holidays into double figures this year already!!

Anniebach, I fail to see how they can just do those things like you and I. They can't go out without security guards and they always have to be aware that even friends can talk to the media. Letters that Charles wrote in private have been scrutinised and they never know when anything they have said and done will come back to haunt them. They may have privileges you and I don't have but it comes with a price. Even if they abdicate and walk away from their Royal lives, the press wouldn't leave them alone. Give me my privacy any day of the week.

DB. - Jezza??

I haven't ploughed back through this thread, but in answer to the OP's question, I very much doubt if young families are "annoyed" because W and K go on frequent holidays. My own young families wouldn't give them a second thought. One DD is doing up an old house they bought, spending every day of her school summer holidays painting and repairing while DH takes the kids out. She's happy to do it and I'm sure wouldn't cast a second thought for what the Royals are doing. I don't believe there are that many resentful young families about. They might regret not having holidays away but I'm sure many of those who don't go away find time for days out or fun things to do with the kids,

But very long holidays , two months Christmas, three months Summer, week in June, Easter , about six months a year

Surely it must be time for a Jezza thread agsin