Palace refurb

I wish you hadn't posted that FarNorth, I have given up losing my rag for Lent

It's okay, the royals are getting a wage rise so they can pay for it themselves. Hmmm

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mps-take-13-minutes-to-decide-to-double-the-royal-familys-income-a7607986.html

... and probably tax deductable to them before they sail off to bolster the off shore bank accounts.

Post 3. Of course, as most of London is now owned by Arabs/Russians/A listers, why don't they contribute towards the cost? The cost of the refurb between them would be a drop in the proverbial ocean.

Post 2. Read in yesterday's Times "Letters" that someone had suggested that part of the Royal Stamp Collection be sold to help pay for the refurb. But apparently it was a private purchase made by the Queen and her own property. Wonder where she got the money from? I suppose the same as selling off paintings, or tiaras.

Post 1. I have just checked what is happening at Palace in Versailles. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11805989/Palace-of-Versailles-forced-to-put-up-paying-guests.html.

I think each region will vary ab they really are wonderful places, with such dedicated staff and volunteers.

rosesarered, only repeating what was said on the Beeb

ab the childrens hospices here (around Oxford) are doing well, thanks to donations and general fundraising.

paddyann you mean you were not totally serious then (I imagined you in a deck chair with your knitting in the front row next to Madame Guillotine.)

No farnorth, if I said some this could mean two or three , this is not what was announced

Children's hospices receive 80% of funding from charity , the rest from the government , children's hospices are in crisis , end of announcement

Anniebach you mean some Children's Hospices are in crisis, then.

They aren't British, I will excuse them
However - HM is their Head of State!

They have no concept of anyone being obliged to be publicly polite and receive a legitimate head of state who (so far) has not proved himself a vicious tyrant, whatever their private opinion. "Let it all hang out" is the mantra, they expect her to throw a wobbly and refuse to recognise him and start a war with the US over it, I daresay.

and somebody posted on my FB page that HM approves of Trump because she is going to receive him here.

Where do people get these ideas from?

They are not owned by the country either. They were put into a separate trust, the income from which is used by the country. The original post is about who should pay for the refurbishment of a proprty owned by that trust- surely the answer is the owners! The queen lives in a small part of it, the rest is offices. Perhaps she should be asked to pay for the proportion represented by the rooms that she uses ? (someone said that it is ten rooms)

An old lady living with her even older husband in a building full of offices and people coming and going, where her bedroom has at least once been invaded by a stranger, and being a prime target for a fanatic keen on assassination or kidnap, no wonder she has footmen constantly on hand.

And George III had only just come to the throne - any debts were incurred by his predecessors, a lot of it in the process of paying the costs of the admin of a nation. The deal was that the monarch should stop paying for it all, in return for an income.

Change the terms of the income legally, by all means, after discussion in Parliament. Change the way we appoint a head of state if that is the "will of the npeople" but have something better to put in place, don't throw out the baby with the bathwater and leave a vacancy to be filled by whoever is most ambitious to fill it.

rosesarered....JOKE !! Just as a final comment here THE CROWN ESTATES are NOT "owned by the Queen" they were relinquished by George the third to offset his debts after living way beyond his means ,so the royal family are getting a percentage from a company they dont own ,which in fact belongs to the taxpayer ...so in effect WE PAY FOR THEM ! Still we have people who think she "gives" all this money from her estates to the government and that is simply not true .

Grsnny23, Scotland is not the UK, there are four countries in the UK, Scotland is just one of the four

AB There are 2 Children's Hospices in Scotland - Rachel House and Robin House both run by CHAS (Children's Hospice Association Scotland). They are NOT in financial Crisis thanks to the dedicated efforts of a legion of volunteers. The Scottish Government has recently allocated a substantial block grant to CHAS to fund their outreach service for families too ill or distant to travel to the hospices. If there is the will it is possible to fund Children's Hospices properly, even in these times of austerity.

Childrens Hospices are in crisis

I kind of agree with you absent about the future of the monarchy. The building still needs major work on it now, whatever the use as a public building.

paddyann so not 'hang the rich bastards' ......just guillotine them?

Why when it comes to a discussion on the life styles of the windsors must some claim to have a monarch we need this family and we should keep them in the manner their ancestors lived or have a president ?

Well said BRedhead.

Perhaps a footballer, Philip Green, Donald Trump or even David Cameron (earning £120,000 per hour) could buy Buck House would the republicans in this country be happy then?
She is ninety and has worked since her early 20's in service for this country give her a break.

I have posted before that I think Buckingham Palace would be an ideal heritage site. It could include art galleries – the monarch has a lot of pictures etc. – and a museum of royalty, including access to private and state apartments. It could also be used as a venue for fund-raising balls, posh (or, possibly not so posh) weddings and other hiring events. When there is a royal occasion – wedding, christening, anniversary, birthday, Trooping the Colour or whatever – it could be closed to the public and the appropriate Windsors can troop into the state ballroom, on to the state balcony or whatever is required. Guards could still change at regular hours and the revenue from the above could pay for repairs to the building. Having said that, I am aware that the current plan for the money for the repairs is to be taken from the Crown Estates – a kind of tax refund for the Queen. (Of course, other income to the Monarch, say from investments, is a separate and private area of tax.)

I am a republican at heart but appreciate that the Queen has worked very hard within her role to do the right thing as she saw it when she ascended to the throne and since. And I also appreciate that mostly she has – there are one or two things that I feel very iffy about. I also thing that monarchy is anachronistic and once the Queen dies, it would be better to move to a republic. Can I remind people that there are many forms of presidential government – why does everyone focus on the American political system which is so very different from that of the UK.