Queen Elizabeth and major royals such as Kate Middleton are under fire from the left over alleged wasteful spending on palace renovations. A decade-long renovation of Buckingham Palace is planned and it will reportedly cost $455 million to complete the project. Exactly who pays what for the makeover of Queen Elizabeth’s primary administrative headquarters has caused unprecedented controversy.
It appears that Queen Elizabeth is responsible for the lions’ share of the cost of the refurbishment. Prime Minister Theresa May and Lord Chancellor Michael Grove agreed the best way to fund the repairs was to give Queen Elizabeth a 66% pay increase of her Sovereign Grant which comes from the Crown Estate.
These monies paid to Queen Elizabeth are used to pay for household staff and property maintenance for the Royal palaces. That now includes the renovations to Buckingham Palace. This increase in the Sovereign Grant comes at a time when The British Government is seeking to reduce the number of Scotland’s MPs from 59 to 53 as a cost-cutting measure.
Scottish National Party MP Hannah Bardell expressed her concern for the poorest and most vulnerable of Queen Elizabeth’s subjects. In part SNP MP Bardwell stated, “I’m sure many will find it hard to grasp the millions available to restore Buckingham Palace when Tory cuts are leaving the poorest in our society to suffer.”
Over the past several years there has been much outcry over how much money is spent renovating Royal residences. The Royal Family spent nearly $3 million in 2014 to renovate Anmer Hall, Kate Middleton and Prince William’s home in Norfolk.
In 2013 Kate Middleton and Prince William spent nearly $2 million of British taxpayers’ money to update and refurbish their 57-room apartment at Kensington Palace.
In February 2016 Kensington Palace employees threatened to go on strike if a proposed pay cut was approved. That reduction in pay would have left Kate Middleton and Prince William’s staff’s earnings below the living wage.
Anti-monarchist Graham Smith believes the cost is “an absolute disgrace” and demands to know why the Royal Family “let [Buckingham Palace] get into this state?” Smith suggests that if the Royal Family cannot look after the Royal residences properly and “raise the revenue to fund maintenance it’s time to give them up.”
Those with pro-monarchy opinions are of the belief that despite backlash from anti-monarchy groups, the people of Britain should have a “sense of nationhood” about the $455 million renovations. Obviously pro-monarchist and anti-monarchist alike are passionate about the subject of who is paying for the $455 million renovation to Buckingham Palace. Could this polarizing topic lead to a further loss of popularity for The Monarchy. Come Back to CDL for all your Royal news and reports!
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The Prince received a wonderful welcome from the congregation at the new St Thomas Cathedral Syriac Orthodox Church yesterday. pic.twitter.com/B09qvdwRQA
— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) November 25, 2016
After learning about dinosaurs the Duchess cut a special #DippyOnTour cake with @NHM_London director Sir Michael Dixon. pic.twitter.com/aN9PwJcht1
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 22, 2016
