British Royal Family costs the country 510 million pounds

As criticism of the monarchy continues in the UK, the financial burden of the Royal Family on the country remains a subject of debate. An anti-monarchy group has made a striking claim on the matter.

The campaign group Republic, which advocates for the abolition of the monarchy in the UK, claimed that the "true cost" of the Royal Family to the tax-paying public is 510 million pounds (681 million dollars).

This figure is nearly six times the 86 million pound Sovereign Grant, the state fund that covers the Royal Family's expenses.

According to a report by BBC Turkish, the Sovereign Grant fund covers expenses such as the Royal Family's staff, travel, and property renovations. However, some expenses, such as security, fall outside this fund. The Republic group notes that security costs alone can be estimated at 150 million pounds "based on media reports."

Anti-monarchists are also calling on the government to clearly disclose these amounts.

Republic director Graham Smith, referring to the debates over the cutting of fuel subsidies for pensioners, said, "How can we talk about cutting benefits while wasting half a billion pounds on the royals?"

'189 THOUSAND POUNDS ANNUAL SALARY FOR THE KING'

The 510 million pound figure calculated by the group also includes "lost income." For example, the 96 million pounds in annual commercial income that could be generated from the Royal Family's residences is included in this amount. The Republic group argues that funding the Royal Family as it is today is a "waste of public money" and proposes that the King should have an annual salary of 189 thousand pounds.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the statements. However, the latest Sovereign Grant report published in July shows that the state allowance allocated to the Royal Family will remain at 86.3 million pounds in 2024-25 and will rise to 132 million pounds in the 2025-26 period.

MONARCHY HAS MORE SUPPORT AMONG THE ELDERLY

According to the polling company YouGov, the proportion of those who viewed the monarchy as beneficial in financial terms last year was 55 percent. Those who viewed the monarchy negatively in financial terms were at 32 percent. In the same survey, those with a positive view of the Royal Family were calculated at 59 percent, while those with a negative view were at 32 percent.

It was determined that support for the monarchy is more common among the elderly, while anti-monarchy sentiment is more widespread among the youth.

News Source: 12punto