£31m From “Crown Estate”
The Windsor family are to take £31m of the people’s money from the “Crown Estate” in 2012-13, the first year in which they will be allowed to take income from this vast public propert holding. However, spending on their their “jubilee” celebrations to mark another 60 years of feudal privilege mean means they will have to draw on their reserves.
In 2011-12, the last year in which they were paid by grants scrutinised by Parliament, they upped this income by £200,000. Charles Windsor took 11 per cent more than the year before. To show his support for the victims of rioting in London he spent £20,000 of their money flying from Aberdeen to London for a photo shoot. His mother spent about the same amount on a single train jounney from London to Penzance.
Spending on jubilee public relations, intended to bolster support for the Windsors’ feudal privileges, included £100,000 on travel by clan members. Harry Windsor chartered a plane to fly from Miaimi to the Caribbean islands at a cost to the people of £55,000. Andrew Windsor spent £358,000 on visits to distant destinations. A trip to Saudi Arabia cost the people £81,000.
The total annual cost of keeping the Windsors in feudal style has been estimated at more than £100m. Liz Widsor takes £12m in spending money from the Duchy of Lancaster each year. Son Charles is paid £16m from the Duchy of Cornwall.