Party At The Palace

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Windsor Ploy Backfires

Another Windsor attempt to create justification for their egregiously unwarranted privileges has brought more criticism than praise.

The criticism followed a dinner for clients and associates of JP Morgan in the Windsors’ main London palace. This was soon after Jamie Dimon, who attended the dinner and heads the bank, had agreed to pay an extraordinary $13bn to American regulators.

It is unclear whether JP Morgan paid for the use of Buckingham Palace. The Financial Times was told by one participant that it did not. But the Windsors say it did. And the bank says it made charitable donations to an orchestra and ballet company, both of which performed at the lavish event.

The party hosted by Andrew Windsor, a son of Britain’s hereditary head of state. According to the FT it was a mark of the “growing enthusiasm by the Royal Family to use its premises to promote business interests”. Like the family’s charitable sponsorships this seems intended to create the impression that they are serving the interests of the country rather than lining their own pockets.

The Labour Party’s usual acceptance of hereditary right was expressed by Keith Vaz who chairs the Home Affairs Committee. He was critical of the use of what he called “a special place” for such events out of concern for the reputation of the Windsor clan and for their security in their “royal” palaces and castles. Vaz was fearful that businesses less reputable than JP Morgan might take advantage of Windsor hospitality.

Paul Flynn, a rare republican Labour MP, mockingly called for more commercialisation of the Windsors. According to the Financial Times he said “I think they could raise about £100m a year by renting out rooms to tourists on a timeshare basis – they’ve got about 600 rooms” .

Whatever the truth about the financial arrangements, two things are clear. It will be the extraordinarily wealthy Windsors who benefit from any extra income, not the people of Britain. And they will do whatever it takes to keep a hold on their extraordinary privileges.


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