The Queen costs the nation £40 million .

The cost of maintaining the Queen rose by £2 million to £40 million last year.






PA

A five day trip in May to the United States by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh cost £415,000



The 6.1 per cent rise - twice the rate of inflation - was blamed by palace
officials on increased maintenance costs on royal residences and higher
travel costs, up £400,000 to £6.4 million.

A five day trip in May to the United States by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh
cost £415,000 including a £23,000 helicopter trip to watch the Kentucky
Derby.

The £40 million work outs at the equivalent of 66 pence per person in the
country which is less than two pints of milk or a download of an music track.Buckingham Palace disclosed in the annual report today that there is a yawning
£32 million black hole in the finances which has caused a major backlog of
essential repairs.

The palace is now seeking a minimum £4 million annuual increase in the £15
million grant for the maintenance of the royal palaces. Ministers have
pointedly refused the request from the Queen.

The funding shortage is now so acute that officials cannot afford to
redecorate the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace. Some of them have not been
redecorated since the Queen came to the throne in 1952.

Sir Alan Reid, the Keeper of the Privy Purse who is the Queen's accountant,
said: "We were unsuccessful in securing more money from the government.
It was a major disappointment to us. That money was badly needed.

"With no increase in funding for 12 years the backlog in essential maintenance
has continued to grow. In the absence of any increase in funding the backlog
of works is estimated at £32 million.

"This backlog relates to essential maintenance and does not include any
allowance for projects such as redecoration of the State Rooms at Buckingham
Palace - most of which were last redecorated before the Queen's reign."

The Prince of Wales took the royal train from Gloucestershire to Penrith to
visit the Black Swan pub at a cost of £19,000.


Is the royal family really needed ?

£19000 could ave got a day return for less

Cost a lot less per person then our Chief Minister cost me so I know where the beter value is ;-)

66p is hardly going to break the bank