£102.4 million

I wondered about that Jaberwok. Do the royals actually have to go through customs? And security? Do they have to remove their shoes and walk though a scanner, and be patted down if they set the buzzer off?

I don't think Prince Charles has ever gone through Customs in his whole life . I like the monarchy, and so do my family . We love the pageantry and feel a surge of pride for our incredible armed forces particularly at the trooping of the colour. They're not perfect,(except the Queen!) what family is? but they care about this country and have its welfare at heart, and that's more than good enough for us.

Like Amelegra I think having a royal family encourages an outdated class system and social inequalities, and I totally agree with her that titles, including royal ones, should be completely abolished. It’s not really the money that bothers me, it’s the elevating of ordinary human beings, who are no different than you or I, to something that approaches God like status. The bowing and curtsying is unnecessary in this day and age. I’ve been told it’s simply a mark of respect, well I don’t bow or curtsy to any of my relatives or friends, nor did I bow or curtsy to my bosses or colleagues when I was working. I greeted my grandparents with a kiss, not a curtsy. I greeted my colleagues and boss with a ‘good morning’ not a bow when I was working. I neither bow nor curtsy to my doctor, my dentist, the employees in the bank I use, nor my friends. But I certainly respect them all.

The royals managed to spend more than a year’s salary on a trip to the cinema. This is scandalous. #AbolishTheMonarchy

Four royals were at the premiere, Charles, Camilla, William and Kate. In the lead up to that day William hadn't had an official engagement for five days (excluding meetings of their own charities, which they list to make them look busier, but which aren't official duties).

When questioned why the royals use so many charter flights and helicopters, a palace spokesperson said they only did so "as a last resort". So how do they explain Charles and Camilla using a charter flight from Scotland to London for a memorial service on 19 September last year?

Charles only had engagements on 14 days that month, and that list includes days when all he did was take a phone call or participate in a video call (he's not a busy man). It lists 23 engagements for the month, but 13 of them were at home and lasted less than an hour.

On 16th September Charles had a day trip to the Isle of Skye, to Dunvegan Castle. On the 17th he had a video call (unlikely to have lasted much more than 20 minutes. An hour at most). That's all he did that day.

On the 18th Charles did nothing. Yet apparently a return charter flight to London and back to Scotland for an event the next day was a 'last resort' option for him, costing the taxpayer £28,036.

Get the drift RF hardly 'work' at all and cost us a fortune

A president would be a parliamentary republic with limited powers and would be accountable.

The monarch is for government and the monarchy Not The People

Far too high a price to maintain an extensive family in their privileged entitlement. What really gets me is the hypocrisy of those preaching green policies to us mere mortals whilst jetting about in private fuel guzzling planes

I like having a monarchy. That’s all I have to say on the matter.

ruthiek

The royals gave their money to us many years ago! And just think of the tourism they bring in . Sick of the moaning on here about the royals, yes there are some hangers on but wait to see what Charles does then complain

I love this! They pinched a load of land and resources then kindly gave it back to us and asked us just to pay them every year for ever afterwards for it!!!!
As for the it's only £1.50. If people want to pay that, that's fine, but having to pay it with no say on how it is spent isn't. So let's make it an opt out system, whereby, if you don't want to fund the monarchy, you don't have to. I wonder how popular they really would turn out to be?

it adds up to less than £1.50 per person.

I have no time for the outdated class system and social inequalities this encourages. Titles, including royal ones, should indeed be an outdated concept in this day and age. BUT (and it is a big but!) what system do we replace it with? A presidential republic? Would the President be an active head of state as in the USA (look how that’s turned out lately!)? Or merely titular as in Ireland with no real powers ( waste of money?!)? While the monarch is Head of State, with ‘soft power ‘ only, our (unwritten) constitution is somewhat protected from political upheavals (coup, anyone?). Plus spending on presidential perks, corruption etc is likely to be high ( a certain V. Putin is proof of that!). We probably wouldn’t save much money at all. Let the Royals carry on as a slimmed down version with full accountability. Cut out the pointless ceremonies that mean nothing to the average person (like the garter ceremony-meaningless now as look which disgraced Duke is a Garter Knight!). But let’s keep them until maybe one day, in the fullness of time, we hit on a better way of doing things!

Total waste of money, that could be spent on better things

What about the £100 BILLION ( and rising) that HS2 is going to cost ? That white elephant is going to be redundant before it’s even finished and will benefit few. In comparison the Royal family seem a bargain!

The royals gave their money to us many years ago! And just think of the tourism they bring in . Sick of the moaning on here about the royals, yes there are some hangers on but wait to see what Charles does then complain

The RF certainly needs trimming down, and no money from the public purse to go to all the hangers on, who are just trading on royal connections.
We should also stop paying expenses to MPs, subsidised meals and drinks etc. They are civil servants after all, the vast majority of the civil service have to pay for their own meals and travel - I know, I used to be a civil servant.

How much does a president and everything that goes with the title cost every year I bet it's much the same

As someone else said, footballers cost a lot more for one purchase than the Queen.

The nation will care for them
2021. Harry is thick useless etc etc.

The Queen stayed with two grieving grandchildren, the sobbing and crying in London was soooo dramatic, no thought
for those young boys ,

I think the RF have thought about it. With Diana’s death awareness that they were not in step with their’ ‘subjects’ was forced upon them. The Queen had to fly the flag over BP at half mast and was advised by Tony Blair I believe to return to London from Scotland and show her humane side. That was definitely a wake up call. They now try to keep on the popular side. Pity about Andrew and Harry! And Charles latest.

So we have Charles wanting to slim back the working royals
And reduce their expenditure. Apparently he spent less on his family last year to I think the tune of circa £1.2million. Whilst the majority approve and want the monarchy it will remain. Any head of state, however is going to cost money. Will there be any or much saving do you reckon?

The revenue from the Crown estates goes into the public purse and the queen gets an allowance from it. This generates a huge amount of money.

Plus £32bn wasted on a useless track and trace system and the many contracts given to friends off the back of the pandemic. Prince Charles pays £5m tax per year of his £21m earnings from the Duchy of Cornwall.

The Jubilee may well have cost quite a sum, how much revenue did it bring in though? The RF apparently generates a lot of money for UK. Yes, there is a terrible financial pressure on people just now but look at how many managed to get to London to celebrate and all those local celebrations didn't appear cost free. Commerce loves a RF event
money in the tills. Goodness, look at Glastonbury, where did all the money come from for all attending that.. As for NS of course she is "bashed" she is a politician.

Hear! Hear! Why do we have to constantly berate British institutions like the Royal family? They do a lot of good and should be appreciated, not constantly criticised. There is an awful lot more money being wasted on 'trivialities' and law suits than on the royals. I wish people would just leave them alone.....

The Queen is the hardest working person in the country……

Are you actually serious? How about doctors and nurses during Covid working twelve hour shifts? How about people who work two or three jobs to make ends meet? How about people who work for Amazon with their poor working conditions? And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

I find it difficult to believe that anyone actually believes the Queen, or any of the royals who do royal duties, actually works hard. How hard is it to cut a ribbon and open a new ward? Or lay a wreath and say a few words? Or turn up in a beautiful frock and watch a premiere?

If you had said the Queen has shown dedication and service throughout her life, yes she has. And she’s old now and deserves to retire. But work hard. Good grief, I can hardly believe anyone believes that!

Let’s keep the royals and get rid of all the civil servants and beaurocrats in the NHS. Lots of money everywhere being wasted, why just pick on the royals? Can we also get rid of biscuits and tea we pay for at All Meetings! Redundancies for people that are re-employed with a different job title by the same employers etc etc.

I’m not a royalist as such but I do love a bit of pomp and ceremony. I think the Queen has been remarkable over her lifetime but like many, I would prefer a smaller set of working royals. However, I do think the end is nearly nigh for the automatic ascension of one family to such an elevated role. I don’t get all this moaning about money, saying it could be spent on cancer treatment or the NHS if the money was saved. Absolute nonsense, it wouldn’t be.