The Windsor clan are to receive £369m to refurbish their main London home, known as Buckingham Palace.
The money to repair the palace will be found by increasing the annual percentage of Crown Estate profits given to the Windsors from 15% to 25%. The Estate is a public holding of property assets and is not the property of the Windsors.
The work will be carried out and the money paid over ten years. In 2014 the Independent on Sunday included the building in a top ten of horrible buildings.
The decision to make this gift to the Windsors was made by just prime minister Teresa May, chancellor Philip Hammond, and Alan Reid. The people’s representatives in parliament will not be allowed to change the decision of the three monarchists.
Reid is known as Keeper of the Privy Purse. He works for queen Windsor as her chief financial officer and is, therefore, duty bound to act in her interests, not in the interests of the people. Despite that he has a vote on how much public money should be given to the Windsors. His annual salary is £188,000.
The other two are leading members of the Conservative Party. When she became prime minister May claimed that “The government I lead will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few but by” those of the less affluent.
The gift to the Windsors preceded an expected announcement from the chancellor that the country’s high indebtedness would mean that there was little money to help those who have been called “Jams”, that is families that are “just about managing”.
The super-wealthy Windsors manage very well. Queen Windsor receives almost £17m a year just from the Duchy of Lancaster. Her son Charles takes over £20m annually from the Duchy of Cornwall.