The queen's decor

There was a big thing made in the media about Kate and William travelling to Aus on a scheduled flight as if they'd just travelled with the plebs.

It cost £107958.

These are the various prices for different classes of travel on the same flight.

£10000 First Class

£6427 Business Class

£3721 Premium Economy

£1748 Economy

As they won't all have travelled first class how many people went?

This is what the Civil List was spent on in 2011-2012 (Different income source now) www.royal.gov.uk/latestnewsanddiary/annualfinancialreports/annualfinancialreports.aspx

(About the Civil List www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalHousehold/Royalfinances/Sourcesoffunding/TheCivilList.aspx)

Royal Households 2010 (with a detailed list ) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Households_of_the_United_Kingdom

"The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the collective departments which support members of the British Royal Family. Many members of the Royal Family who undertake public duties have separate households. They vary considerably in size, from the large Royal Household which supports the Sovereign to the household of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, with fewer than ten members. The lesser households are funded from the Civil List annuities, paid to their respective royal employers for their public duties, and all reimbursed to HM Treasury by the Queen.

In addition to the royal officials and support staff, the Sovereign's own household incorporates representatives of other estates of the Realm, including the Government, the Military, and the Church. Government whips, defence chiefs, several clerics, scientists, musicians, poets, and artists hold honorary positions within the Royal Household. In this way, the Royal Household may be seen as having a symbolic, as well as a practical, function: exemplifying the Monarchy's close relationship with other parts of the Constitution and of national life."

What is she spending the extra on, Lilygran?
If Osborne gives a tax cut to top earners, she will get another 5% as her tax will be cut from 45 to 40%. She would do okay just on that.

Neither do I, Anniebach. And I know it is government policy that determines how NHS priorities are set. The point I was making, in fact. Buckingham Palace is a building of importance to the nation, like the Palace of Westminster only nearly 100 years earlier. Both have been neglected in terms of major repairs and refurbishment, both will cost a fortune to put right. You really seem to have a personal issue with the Queen. If she were planning to spend the extra on diamonds or cars, you might have some reason to complain about 'greed'.

Maybe she just looked at the MPs payrise, Annie, and did not realise the rest of us were not getting one.

Lilygran, the four countries of the UK have x ammount of money for health, Scotland and Wales chose free prescriptions England didn't . So you should take it up with your MP yes

I am quite aware the windsors are not responsible for the cut backs, even in Wales we know the queen isn't the PM, I think asking for over 6% pay rise is greedy , she certainly doesn't believe we are all in it together! neither does the idiot who first said it. It shows disregard for the people she vowed to serve. Not asking for more would have been a gesture, even if she does have millions in her purse. The queen has become a sacred cow by aging, yet only eighteen years ago many were screaming for her blood, at that time I admired her for not dancing to the press and publics tune. I do not see the windsors as saints

It wasn't a live in position but did offer an interest free loan to buy a season ticket if required.

I can't see her at a sex party but I bet Phil the Greek has had a few adventures. When Harry was caught out in Vegas I reckon he was only carrying on a family tradition

onmyown somehow I can't see her at a sex party.

merlot!

What a load of twaddle!

Love the general lack of deference here - go Gransnet. I'm a republican but wearing my pragmatic go-with-the-status-quo hat I agree with the posting that says: Move out to Windsor, rent Buck House out to Parliament while Westminster is refurbished, and use rent to pay for refurbishment of Buck House. I am sure Windsor Town Council will cope. Not sure the Royals will enjoy wrapping up all their family photos and personal artefacts, though. And what about the Trooping of the Colour?

As for the Royals being decadent - well, so many secrets creep out of the woodwork at intervals about the rich and famous at sex parties and drinking gin and dubonnet at all times - so who knows?

Anniebach I'm sure a lot of people share your views on welfare cuts but they have nothing to do with the Queen's domestic arrangements. You should write to your MP or join a campaign. Having a go at the royal family is completely irrelevant! BTW are you Welsh? Is it fair that people resident in Wales all get free prescriptions? Or that elderly people in Scotland don't pay for care? People in England pay for both. I suppose you think that's ER's fault as well?

I thought "decadent" meant gorging yourself with rich food, probably things like baby quails stuffed with pate de foie gras, drinking 24 hours a day, having kinky sex with anything that moves (or doesn't), taking hard drugs and being generally nasty to people. You are free to object to the cost of the monarchy, but I don't think it is correct to say that she has ever been decadent.

Do you know something we don't, Anniebach

I've just been watching this sweet old lady visiting Bergen Belsen. Dignified doesn't come close. She is amazing for her age and we are very lucky to have her.

She's staying in an hotel. I don't suppose they'll be expecting her to run her own bath

Perhaps not at 89 Ana, but she certainly has lived quite a decadent life , she hasn't always been a sweet old lady, and I did say the windsors not just the queen

I wouldn't say the lifestyle of the Windsors is 'decadent'! Certainly not that of the Queen...

I find the decadent lifestyle of the windsors offensive , we pay for a maid to run her bath whilst the elderly who need this help get a carer for fifteen minutes. The cut backs which will affect the disabled will mean hardship, the quern must read the papers , she asks for a large increase in her pay yet she could dip into her own purse. There is a desperate need for housing yet we paid one million for work to a 57 room apartment for her grandson . The million would not have solved the housing crisis but the lack of sensitivity by this money grabbing family angers me.

I could do my own ironing but I pay someone else to do it. I'd employ a chauffeur if I could afford it!

Actually, at 89 she could be a bit wobbly on the old pins. Probably safer sitting down. Bless.

She might be like me and have both. #onlysensiblesolution

I wonder if she's like the rest of us and thinks, Sod the bath...One prefers a shower these days

I think it is quite right and proper that the Queen has her bath prepared for her. What's the point in being a flippin' queen otherwise?!

vq, Have you checked to see whether or not the housemaid has a live in position?

I think it's very likely that accommodation/meals etc., are included in some wages.

The Queen is 89 and I doubt she could cope with having a bath without help but even if she could, she's in a position to have others to do that for her.

It's slightly higher than the National Minimum Wage which is £6.50 per hour (rising to £6.70 in October). However the Greater London Authority say that a minimum living wage in London would be £9.15 per hour so she's hardly being generous.

I looked online and found this job as a chambermaid in a five star hotel in London. The wage is £7.35 an hour.
www.indeed.co.uk/cmp/ECB-Services/jobs/Room-Attendant-1950378f42c11ccc

If the chambermaid is the main wage earner then she will have to claim top up benefits in order to have enough money to live. David Cameron wants employers to pay more to relieve the burden on the benefits system. Perhaps Liz should set an example and lead from the front for a change.

Can someone please explain to me why Liz can't run her own bath btw?

What? More than the minimum wage?
Or is that the London minimum wage?
Did you know there are more staff bedrooms in Buck House than there are rooms in total in The White House?