During an interview with Express.co.uk, anti-monarchy campaigner Graham Smith, the CEO of Republic, stated that the Queen and the Royal Family should cover the cost of the funeral as the UK taxpayer will have to pay the policing costs for the event. Republic is an organisation that campaigns for the abolishment of the Royal Family and for Queen Elizabeth II to be replaced by an elected, democratic head of state.
Mr Smith said regarding the prospect of the UK taxpayer paying for Prince Philip’s funeral: “I don’t think we should.
“I can understand with the monarch if you are the head of state and there is a state funeral offered then you might understand why the taxpayer would pay for it.
“I think it would be childish to suggest we do not do that with the Queen.
“I think with Prince Philip he is a private citizen, he happens to be the husband of the monarch.
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“They have got plenty of their own money they can arrange and afford their own funeral.”
He continued: “I don’t see why the taxpayer should be asked to do that.
“It will cost the taxpayer a lot anyway because of the policing.
“I am sure it will be a public event which will attract a number of reasonably large crowds.
The Republic CEO said: “The Queen obviously being Head of State would cost the most I imagine.
“Certainly, someone like Prince Andrew has also shown himself to be quite causal with publicly funded travel with helicopter flights and private jets and so on.
“It is very hard to pinpoint one over the other, but we know that the Queen and Charles take millions of pounds from the two Duchies.
“We would assume that the Queen would be more expensive than the other because of her position as Head of State.”
