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I've heard that many times but I've always wondered whether is is a net positive given all the tax spending that goes towards the royal family. I guess we'll ne

I've heard that many times but I've always wondered whether is is a net positive given all the tax spending that goes towards the royal family. I guess we'll never know since it's impossible to tell exactly how much tourism is in part based on the queen/king/monarchy sentiment.

opportune 4y ago
It ignores the fact that the royal family owns a tremendous amount of assets that are not directly used in tourism or used by the state. And that they live off those taxes and spending. If the UK abolished the monarchy, tourism attractions like Westminster and the Crown Jewels would still exist
- toomanybeersies 4y ago
  Imagine the money they'd make if they turned Buckingham Palace into a hotel.
- nly 4y ago
  Is 20 odd billion £ really a tremendous amount of assets when the government can magic up 150 billion on a whim to cap energy bills? It's peanuts in the scheme of things. The royal family aren't even that rich amongst the billion class in the US.
  - MagnumOpus 4y ago
    > 20 odd billion £ really a tremendous amount of assets yes > government can magic up 150 billion that is also a tremendous amount which the next British generations will labour decades to pay off, just so today's pensioners can heat their homes to the 25C they are used to, and still have their ski outings in Zermatt.
    - sofixa 4y ago
      > that is also a tremendous amount which the next British generations will labour decades to pay off, just so today's pensioners can heat their homes to the 25C they are used to, and still have their ski outings in Zermatt. It is a tremendous amount indeed, but i don't know why you think it's only pensioners and skiers who would benefit from not having to choose between food and energy.
toomanybeersies 4y ago
The king is paid from earnings generated by the Crown Estate [0], which is basically a state owned property investment fund. From my understanding, taxpayer money hasn't been used to fund the monarchy since the 1700s. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Estate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Estate
- darkr 4y ago
  The sovereign grant currently running around £90M/year: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_Grant_Act_2011 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_Grant_Act_2011
  - wheelinsupial 4y ago
    By no means am I an expert on this, but it looks like the sovereign grant is a tax refund paid to the crown from the taxes that the Crown Estate pays. https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-57559653.amp https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-57559653.amp
    - MagnumOpus 4y ago
      The sovereign grant is paid to the Windsor family, not the Crown. It is important to distinguish the "Crown" (essentially the monarchy-as-government) and the queens' family and hangers-on...
  - nly 4y ago
    It's peanuts though? I mean that's about 1000 well paid London software engineers paying their typical income tax.

opportune 4y ago

It ignores the fact that the royal family owns a tremendous amount of assets that are not directly used in tourism or used by the state. And that they live off those taxes and spending. If the UK abolished the monarchy, tourism attractions like Westminster and the Crown Jewels would still exist

toomanybeersies 4y ago
Imagine the money they'd make if they turned Buckingham Palace into a hotel.
nly 4y ago
Is 20 odd billion £ really a tremendous amount of assets when the government can magic up 150 billion on a whim to cap energy bills? It's peanuts in the scheme of things. The royal family aren't even that rich amongst the billion class in the US.
- MagnumOpus 4y ago
  > 20 odd billion £ really a tremendous amount of assets yes > government can magic up 150 billion that is also a tremendous amount which the next British generations will labour decades to pay off, just so today's pensioners can heat their homes to the 25C they are used to, and still have their ski outings in Zermatt.
  - sofixa 4y ago
    > that is also a tremendous amount which the next British generations will labour decades to pay off, just so today's pensioners can heat their homes to the 25C they are used to, and still have their ski outings in Zermatt. It is a tremendous amount indeed, but i don't know why you think it's only pensioners and skiers who would benefit from not having to choose between food and energy.

toomanybeersies 4y ago

The king is paid from earnings generated by the Crown Estate [0], which is basically a state owned property investment fund. From my understanding, taxpayer money hasn't been used to fund the monarchy since the 1700s. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Estate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Estate

darkr 4y ago
The sovereign grant currently running around £90M/year: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_Grant_Act_2011 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_Grant_Act_2011
- wheelinsupial 4y ago
  By no means am I an expert on this, but it looks like the sovereign grant is a tax refund paid to the crown from the taxes that the Crown Estate pays. https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-57559653.amp https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-57559653.amp
  - MagnumOpus 4y ago
    The sovereign grant is paid to the Windsor family, not the Crown. It is important to distinguish the "Crown" (essentially the monarchy-as-government) and the queens' family and hangers-on...
- nly 4y ago
  It's peanuts though? I mean that's about 1000 well paid London software engineers paying their typical income tax.