It’s Good To Be The King
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Legal clause? The tax is his. All revenue to the government is technically his.
He would be paying himself.
My American blood says meh. Lucky sperm sentimentality have not I.
The British do love their Monarchy.
correction: Monarch
correction: Queen Elizabeth II, and rightly so.
We’ll see how things go from now.
The royal family was “skimmed down” not long ago in order to get rid of the useless cousins etc…and probably to save on wages. It now consists basically of the immediate family.
We’ll see how things go from now.
He’ll never be in the same league as his mother because she has left a huge legacy. And because:
– he will never have her longevity of reign
– he is a male with a different temperament
– he has a tarnished back-history (having an affair whilst married to Diana),
– he married his once-mistress (which I think the British public have come to accept and forgive)
– he has strong views on climate change, which is a highly politicised issue.
What I do like so far is his no nonsense approach – he has sidelined anyone who would tarnish the reputation or future of the royal family eg. His own brother Andrew and even his own son Harry and Me-again (Americans must be thrilled to be hosting them- not). Which to me indicates he will carry on in his mother’s example of duty before everything. He will continue to be compared and contrasted to his mother in the foreseeable future. He probably knows that too.
The Crown used to get its personal income from its own estates, like any British noblemen, but in the 18th century, Parliament grew concerned that the King’s income was being used to influence politics. Parliament purchased the Crown Estates for an annuity, (which now exceeds the revenues generated by the CE). The cost to the average Briton is £2 per year – less than a fancy coffee in London. Would that Biden came so cheap!
Charles may surprise us, as Edward VII did. There are many parallels between them, Edward was criticized for his conduct as Prince of Walls, but was well liked on the throne, even in Dublin in 1908.
Correction:
The revenue of the Crown Estates EXCEEDS the annuity. Parliament got the better deal.
And of course, Prince of WALES.
There’s the Crown Estate, the Duchy of Lancaster, his Cornwall estates, and the Queen’s personal property. I think this is referring to the Queen’s personal property, e.g. Sandringham. I think there are dispensations for entailed property generally.