Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr K
Yes but don't let it hold you back 
I'm not particularly anti-monarchist, but they do need to pay their. Asking the tax payer to pay when you've got 400 million tucked away and we have a massive defecit is a bit cheeky. Would you prefer your local hospital be kept open, or the Queen to get a house make over?
There are several palaces, some rarely used. She only stays one night a year in the Holyrood palace ! I'm not suggesting they get knocked down, give some to the National Trust and they/visitors can pay for the upkeep. |
Most of the buildings you're referring to belong to the Crown, and therefore to the nation, not to the Windsor family. The family's personal wealth allows them to own and maintain Balmoral, for example. However when it comes to maintenance of the crown estate, of which Buckingham Palace is part, the queen is not able to make those decisions herself because since 1760 the estate's income has been surrendered to the treasury, under control of the government. The settlement currently grants back 15% of that income to pay for the Queen's expenses. Obviously, exceptional expenditure such as a once-in-a-lifetime major renovation of the most famous residence in Britain can't be budgeted for out of that.
Incidentally she stays at Holyroodhouse for a week, not a day; it is occasionally used as a base for other royals with Scottish engagements and the rest of the time it is open to the ticket-buying public.