Values, Priorities and Royalty

It's tough to be a royal in some parts of the world. In the Saudi kingdom not so much, since the lifestyle can be as extravagant and lavish as one might wish, with the funding coming from an almost-inexhaustible source of fossil fuels chugging the economy along; ditto the neighbours. In Europe, the royals have learned to live more abstemiously since their funding is hardly to be compared. In royal Old England, however, where love for Queen Elizabeth II still flourishes, the style remains grand enough.

Nice old stone piles in London and Edinburgh and the royals list still paid for out of the state treasury. The Queen is vastly wealthy. Her oldest son hasn't done too badly for himself, either with his environmentally-sensitive estates and eco-business plans. The beloved Queen is known not to be too lavish a spender; in fact, she is fondly known as one who is given to carefully mending and tending rather than carelessly replacing what can still be useful. Still, it remains inordinately costly to maintain palaces.

And of late it has been revealed that royal aides have made it known to Parliament that a difficult energy burden has been placed upon the Queen's coffers related to gas and electricity invoices which have increased exponentially - to the extent that they amount now to $1.6 million annually, taking a huge bite out of the $22-million granted by the state for palace upkeep. Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle are the pride of the nation and require additional upkeep funding.

Of course the total yearly allowance granted to the British monarch is closer to $50-million for staff and palace upkeep. It's sad to become aware through the news media that Parliament is turning a deaf ear and blind eye to the many appeals by the Royal Family for financial assistance. Life can be so unfair. The Queen, it should be noted, is the proud owner of one of the world's finest and most extensive art collections. The Royal jewels are stupendously varied; rare and costly and lovely. One must, after all, keep up appearances.

She does have a $20-million reserve, but money has a habit of simply draining away, and it would be so very much appreciated if ongoing appeals for consideration of increasing the palace allowances would be agreed upon. Of course, it is unfortunate that increased funding might have to be drained from a special fund whose purpose is intended to assist community energy funding operated by local authorities for housing associations, universities, hospitals, town halls and social housing.

But there is such a thing as priorities, after all, and the Royal estates upkeep have simply become 'untenable'.