Posted on 12/08/2014 6:29:53 PM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
UNDER-EDUCATED?
How many Rappers or NBAers are graduates of St. Andrews? It is, after all, the third oldest university in the English speaking world (indeed, how many Rappers or NBAers really speak English?).
No, they're not actually. Under agreements going back to George III, the revenues from the Crown Estate (the Royal Family's properties) got to the British treasury to be used as the government sees fit, while in exchange, the expenses of maintaining the Royal Palaces, etc, and an allowance to the Queen and Prince Phillip are covered. Altogether in a typical year, the British taxpayers get around £200 million from the Royal Family, and give back around £30 million (it's actually fixed at 15% of Crown Revenues). No other members of the Royal Family receive any other money from the government except as things like their salaries for military service - the same as anybody else serving. The Queen and the Prince of Wales do receive incomes from properties owned by the Duchy of Lancaster (the Queen is Duke of Lancaster) and the Duchy of Cornwall (the Prince is Duke of Cornwall) but again, this is their property, much the same as any other family might have inherited property (the Royal Family is rich by any standard - but far from the richest of old British families).
People just seem to assume it's all taxpayer funded. It isn't. It's a family that's had hundreds of years to build up its wealth - and gives most of that wealth to the state. Functionally they are paying an 85% tax rate on their main income.
Thank you for setting the record straight. I happen to have a great deal of respect for Queen Elizabeth. She devotes much of her time educating herself on the politics of the world, not just England. When I was younger I remember she was said to have been one of the most knowledgeable persons in world affairs.
Yep. As monarch she has met the US President going back to Eisenhower. That covers 11 of them.
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