Graham Smith told Express.co.uk that providing a salary and an office for Queen Elizabeth II, as the UK’s head of state, should be the extent of spending on the monarchy. Republic is an organisation that campaigns for the Queen to be replaced by an elected, democratic head of state and the monarchy to be abolished.
Mr Smith said: “The public does not owe the royals a living.
“We should not be spending a single penny on them beyond providing a salary and an office for the Queen.
“Beyond that, we do not owe a £20 million income a year to Charles.
“We do not owe a lavish lifestyle, apartments, palaces, travel and security to the rest of them.”
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The CEO of Republic told Express.co.uk: “There is no reason why the taxpayer should be paying for any of them.
“They should all follow Prince Harry’s example and stop costing the taxpayer millions of pounds every year.”
Prince Harry is currently sixth in line to the throne.
The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family in March 2020.
“The Civil List, dating from George 111 who handed over his income from the Crown Lands in exchange for it in 1760, lasted until 2011 and has since been replaced by the Sovereign Grant which sensibly covers these costs and, excluding security, it is estimated that the cost of the monarchy is £1.24p per person per year including the cost of refurbishment of Buckingham Palace, the core cost is just 74p per year.
“This excludes the benefits from the Duchy of Cornwall which pays for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall and the Cambridges.”
He added: “Also, the Duchy of Lancaster from which the Queen pays for the other working royals. The taxpayer is not involved.
“There is no mention of the benefits from having the world’s most high profile monarchy as we do, in which there is such vast media interest, the revenues accrued from tourism, from royal trips abroad for British business and for charity given the 2000 engagements which, in a normal year, the royals undertake and the over 3,000 organisations which have royal links and value these greatly.”
