Queen costs taxpayers 62p each
- ITN
Queen costs taxpayers 62p each
The Queen and the Royal Family cost the taxpayer 62p per person per year, accounts from Buckingham Palace have revealed. Royal accountants said the cost of keeping the monarchy in the last financial year rose by 4.2 per cent to £37.4 million. Extra security vetting at the royal residence in the wake of a national newspaper journalist who managed to get a job as a footman at Buckingham Palace was partly to blame for the increase. Alan Reid, Keeper of the Privy Purse, said: 'Given this is a World Cup year, 62p would buy you a ticket for one minute of England's game against Portugal on Saturday.' The cost of royal travel rose by 10 per cent to £5.5 million. During the year, the Royal Family made 14 journeys on the royal train compared to 19 in 2004/05. They made 48 journeys by scheduled rail. Among the journeys detailed in the financial report was a reconnaissance trip by staff from Clarence House for the Prince of Wales's visit to the USA which cost £44,885. In contrast, a reconnaissance trip by Buckingham Palace staff to Australia and Singapore ahead of the Queen's official visit cost £15,085. A senior aide at the Palace said: 'As far as the Prince of Wales's trip was concerned, it was a very complicated trip. 'There were a lot of different interests related to the engagement he was carrying out.'
ITN | June 28, 2006
