Should the Royal Family receive less public funding? Take our poll and have your say

Should the Royal Family receive less public funding? Take our poll and have your say Former Cabinet minister Lord George Foulkes has launched a blistering attack against the £100 million Sovereign Grant, arguing the royals do not offer value for money The Royal Family’s finances have long been subject to harsh criticisms, with many condemning the amount of public funding the Firm receives, despite their exorbitant net worth. The latest attack on these public funds, known as the Sovereign Grant, comes from former Cabinet minister Lord George Foulkes, who yesterday addressed the House of Lords and argued that the royals do not offer value for money. The Sovereign Grant sits at £99.9 a year, which comprises taxpayer funds from the public, as well as a portion of profits from the Crown Estate. It is this money that helps fund the royal’s daily operations, as well as the ongoing refurbishment of Buckingham Palace. Lord Foulkes said in his address: "When we ask the public to fund an institution to the tune of over just under £100 million a year through the Sovereign Grant, at a time when many are facing severe pressure on their household budgets, we have a duty to ask two fundamental questions - are we getting value for money, and do the actions of this institution match the values it preaches? I would argue that the answer to both is no." On this week’s episode of Pod Save the King, the Mirror ’s royal editor Russell Myers delved into the debate, saying there have been increased calls for the monarchy to share more details about their finances, as the UK continues through a cost of living crisis. Russell said: “I think there are further calls growing over the last few years about transparency. Where are the royals getting their money from? Why on earth are the British taxpayers putting money towards their helicopter rides, their train rides, the royal train costing £40,000 every time you want to take it out? “And of course, I think, you know, we are in a pretty dire situation, not just in the UK, but across the globe. The cost of living crisis is making people ask these questions.” The Mirror’s deputy royal editor Jennifer Newton added: “I think when we take into account that it costs more to fill up your car when you go to the petrol station, it costs more to get your food shopping when you go to the supermarket, people aren't having necessarily a pay rise, but then when we see the royals getting more and more money, people might start to think, ‘Well, is that... is that the right thing to do?’” Russell agreed as he said: “How can you sort of sit back and have a man at the top of the shop who is worth £2 billion, and we are still paying for the fuel for their helicopter and for the royal train to leave the station? I think that is a bitter pill to swallow for a lot of people.” In a counter argument about royal expenses, Robert Hazell, Emeritus Professor of Government and the Constitution at University College London, recently outlined the demands put on the Royal Family as they continue their tireless work. Hazell explained that between daily engagements, overseas tours, travel costs, and security bills, the working members of the Royal Family help raise millions of pounds for charities, while also boosting the economy through international tourism. Russell Myers said earlier this week that Lord Foulkes has sneered at the royal’s ‘ribbon-cutting duties’, to which the Mirror’s royal editor said: “But ask the thousands of charities with a royal patron what that ribbon is worth. A royal visit means headlines, donations, volunteers and a morale boost no advertising budget could buy.”