She makes over $16 million a year to spend how she pleases. She lives in a palace. She travels. She has guards, live in maids, butlers, gardeners, seamstresses, chefs and who knows who else at her disposal, and she has the gall to apply for grants that are intended for low income families? That's where I draw the line.
Queen Elizabeth hasn't seen a pay increase in two decades. Her "allowance" is now up for review. "Because of inflation, the annual payment is today worth only a quarter of what it was 20 years ago," says a financial representative from the British gov't which has meant the Queen has had to do some careful budgeting over the years. Careful budgeting apparently involves trying to garner even more public funds (in the amount of $2 million) by way of low income grants to help foot the cost of rising utility bills and what not. Careful budgeting? I'd like to see her live a year in the real world, then we might see some careful budgeting.
A Republic spokesman has been reported as saying, "These documents (grant applications) are clear evidence of the contempt the palace has for ordinary people in this country. We have our head of state demanding cash that has been set aside for low-income families, for the most vulnerable in our society.
"The palace has repeatedly refused to change the way it is managed; it has refused to open its doors to the public all year round, to raise the revenue it needs. Instead, they continue to go cap in hand to our government for more handouts.
"This sense of entitlement speaks volumes about the attitudes of the Windsors and their household. For them it's all about take, take, take."
Here, here, I couldn't have said it better myself. Maybe I'm a tad envious, but really, by any sense of the word, $16 million is a lot of money. If you can't live on that then perhaps it's time to cut back a little. Maybe sell off a palace or two? The worst of it all is, this is all public money. I know she's royalty, she respected and loved by many, but where should the line be drawn?
Buckingham Palace and the royal family have been a part of our reality since the beginning of history but times change and people need to change with the times - do we really have a place or need for a pampered, "better than everyone else" figure in this day and age?
I say once her highness's time has passed we seriously reconsider the whole royal concept. These are tough economic times, gone should be the days of the King on the pedestal with the lowly peasants struggling to make do scurrying beneath.
