 
|
BLOGS by Richard PalmerROYAL BLOG: WHY THE QUEEN SHOULD FACE CUTSTuesday July 6,2010 By Richard Palmer
The Queen needs to cut back on her royal engagements THE Queen and her family do a fantastic job for Britain but they should not escape the swingeing cutbacks facing just about every other publicly-funded service. Even the monarch's closest aides have reluctantly been forced to accept that, as a figurehead for the nation, she should not be spared the belt-tightening we all face in this new age of austerity. After publishing the Royal Household's annual accounts on Monday, senior courtiers disclosed that they have been asked to draw up plans to slash some budgets by 25 to 40 per cent to bring them in line with the same demands currently being placed on Whitehall departments. They hope they might get away with smaller cutbacks than 25 per cent. One senior royal aide, for example, argued that while the Queen's £15 million annual Government property grant to maintain her royal residences has already been cut by £500,000 after being frozen for 10 years, many of Britain's prominent art galleries and museums have been receiving extra cash in the last decade. The Queen's palaces may be crumbling thanks to a £40 million repairs backlog but somehow, I doubt that argument is going to wash with the new coalition Government, even though the majority of ministers are naturally better disposed to the monarchy than their Labour predecessors
Post to:
ROYAL BLOG: WHY ARE COURTIERS MAKING THE QUEEN LOOK SHIFTY OVER HER SPENDING?Thursday July 1,2010 By Richard Palmer
The Queen has increased her spending while we have been cutting back THE Queen has increased her spending in the past year while most of us, including her eldest son Prince Charles, have been cutting back. Draft figures which will form the basis of her annual financial report, due to be published on Monday, show that her Civil List spending as head of state has risen by 2.1 per cent in a year – and 4.9 per cent if you include exceptional items. In contrast, Prince Charles has slashed his spending by 4.4 per cent, halving the cost of his official entertainment bill in the process. Funnily enough, while Charles happily allows reporters into Clarence House to discuss his finances at an often challenging annual briefing, the Queen and her senior aides are trying to stop journalists asking awkward questions about her spending. Buckingham Palace has ended the tradition of inviting reporters in for a briefing with senior officials, instead issuing a press release with the annual report and insisting we can ring up and get help with any queries if we really need to. The annual palace briefing is the one time each year that the Royal Family and their household can be held accountable to the public for their actions. Those responsible for e
Post to:
ROYAL BLOG: PRINCE ANDREW SUNK BY LOOSE CANNON FERGIEFriday May 28,2010 By Richard Palmer
Prince Andrew is in danger of being forever tainted THE danger for Buckingham Palace is that Prince Andrew will be forever tainted by the scandal over his ex-wife’s efforts to sell access to him for £500,000. As the Duke of York and his aides anxiously await to see what further eye-watering revelations might be made this weekend after Sarah Ferguson was caught in a sting, palace officials are desperately trying to limit the lasting damage to his reputation. Andrew, Britain’s special trade envoy, has insisted he knew nothing about the Duchess of York’s decision to take $40,000 as a downpayment on a deal involving a businessman wanting an introduction to him. It would be curtains for the Queen’s second son if - as Fergie originally claimed in her excruciatingly embarrassing filmed conversation with an undercover News of the World reporter posing as an Indian businessman – he was aware of the deal to pay her £500,000 plus 1 per cent commission on any deals arising out of the introduction. Perhaps not surprisingly, she has since withdrawn that claim. Both she and Andrew have insisted they know nothing about the News of the World’s assertion that she has at least twice before received payments for introducing businessman to the Duke. But
Post to:
ROYAL BLOG: MY AWAY DAYS WITH THE QUEENThursday April 29,2010 By Richard Palmer
The Queen lifts the public's spirits SHE has spent her life being gawped at but our 84-year-old Queen still often seems shy and stuck for words while meeting her subjects. It is part of her magic, I suppose, that so many people hold her in such great affection, although she rarely says much or gives anything away about what she thinks. I’ve just got back from following the Queen and Prince Philip on two of what their aides like to call royal away days. Their trips to Caernarfon, Dinas, Bangor, and Llandudno on Tuesday and Welshpool on Wednesday got little or no coverage in most of the national media but were huge stories for local television, radio and newspapers. The people of those towns will never forget the day the Queen came to visit. Flag-waving schoolchildren were taken out of classes to greet the royal couple. Shop and office workers watched from windows, while others sneaked out for a few moments to grab a chance to meet one of the world’s most famous couples. It had been 35 years since the Queen had last visited Caernarfon. She had not been to Welshpool since 1986. Large crowds turned out to greet them wherever they went. In Welshpool there must have been 4,000 people lining the ma
Post to:
ROYAL BLOG: PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE MIDDLETON'S NEW LIFE IN THE WELSH COUNTRYSIDEFriday April 16,2010 By Richard Palmer
Prince William and Kate Middleton IT is 79 miles to the nearest chic shopping centre and a world away from glitzy West End nightclubs but Kate Middleton is busy mapping out a new life for herself living in the Welsh countryside.
Middleton's future lies in a North Wales farmhouse where she and Prince William plan to spend a growing amount of time together in the next few months. It could even end up being their first marital home.
A friend of the couple tells me that, for the moment at least, Kate, 28, intends to continue working for her family's Berkshire-based children's party accessories company, Party Pieces, but is likely to spend an increasing amount of time with William in North Wales, where he will be based as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot for the next three years.
Post to:
|
|
||||||||
Sitemap | Print Archive | Contact | Advertise Here | Site Credits Copyright ©2006 Northern and Shell Media Publications. "Daily Express" is a registered trademark.
All rights reserved. By viewing this site you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.