Queen costs Britons 62p each
Queen costs Britons 62p each
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Wednesday, 28, Jun 2006 04:11
British taxpayers are each paying 62 pence a year to keep the Queen as head of state, new Buckingham Palace figures have revealed.
The latest Royal Public Finances annual report, which details the monarch's expenditure for the year up until March 31st, reveals that the Queen spent £37.4 million in 2005-06, an increase of 4.2 per cent on the previous 12 months.
That represents a decrease of 2.5 per cent from five years ago in real terms, according to Alan Reid, keeper of the privy purse.
Last year saw a real terms annual increase of 1.4 per cent, but that was partly a result of long-haul overseas trips, particularly the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's visit to Australia at the beginning of the year, Buckingham Palace said.
There was also more money spent on security and vetting of royal employees, following the revelation that a tabloid newspaper reporter gained a job as a footman.
"The annual cost per person in the country, in funding the head of state, amounts to 62 pence," Mr Reid confirmed.
"This is the annual cost, not the daily, weekly or monthly cost. We are pleased that the total cost of the monarchy is lower in real terms than it was in 2001.
"The reduction in the amount of head of state expenditure reflects the continuous attention the royal household pays to obtaining the best value for money in all areas of expenditure."
The publication of the Queen's finances comes in the same week as Clarence House revealed Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall's finances, which showed Charles's personal income had increased by six per cent to over £14 million.
It was also revealed that the prince paid more than £3.2 million in tax – the first time his payments had been made public.
But the apparent increased transparency surrounding royal finances has not prevented calls for the royal family to go further.
Anti-monarchy group Republic has cited a recent opinion poll which suggests 52.3 per cent of 1,051 people surveyed believe the royals should rely entirely on their private income and not on the public purse.
"No matter how little the Windsors claim we spend on them each year, it is too much for most people," Graham Smith, Republic's campaign manager, said
"The public don't want to spend 3.5p on Charles, or 61p on the Queen."