Charles Windsor, the son of Britain’s hereditary head of state, has been reported by the Sunday Telegraph newspaper to be “very excited” about the conversion of his family’s 9-carriage railway train to run on bio-diesel made from vegetable oil. Mr. Windsor was said in the same article to be concerned about climate change.
The heir to head of state will shortly make a 960 mile trip on the modified train. If the journey goes well it will continue to run on bio-diesel. Solo journeys on the Windsor train have in the past have cost the taxpayers more than £30,000.
Critics of the Windsor family have suggested that its travels would have less environmental impact if they used the less extravagant means of transport of other non-executive heads of state. The British monarchical system provides for numerous family members to travel at the expense of the taxpayers and does therefore have a particularly adverse effect on the environment.