Royal Reform

 A journey of a thousand miles begins with a simple step. So goes the ancient Chinese proverb, and so it is with the announcement from Buckingham Palace that we are to learn this week how much tax the King paid in 2024-25.

In one sense this is nothing new, as the Palace acknowledges. As Prince of Wales, Charles regularly declared how much tax he paid. It was however, a practice foolishly abandoned  by William when he became Prince of Wales. Now he has been forced into an embarrassing about-turn.

When Poverty Enters the Door
unknown artist
Photo Credit: Worthing Museum and Art Gallery [CC BY-ND]

The public, outraged by the burgeoning cost of the monarchy, have been appalled to learn of Charles and William charging a fortune for soldiers to yomp across Dartmoor, and for charging the NHS millions to park ambulances in an empty warehouse in London. 

They have been disgusted by the peppercorn rents charged to Andrew and Edward for their mansions in Windsor Great Park and Surrey respectively, while each drew a tidy income from sub-letting ancillary buildings.

So let us welcome this baby step, but we need much more. We need a breakdown of the tax paid, to separate out duchy income from investment income, and the increasing amounts being generated by the ruthless commercialisation of private properties such as Balmoral, Sandringham and the Castle of Mey.

We need clarity over what is being claimed as business expenses. We know that Charles as Prince of Wales claimed against Duchy of Cornwall income for stabling Camilla's horses and for her dresses before they were even married.

Above all, we need a clear statement from the King as to how he intends to slash the massive bill the monarchy gives to the taxpayer every year. Slimming down the monarchy is not just about having fewer people on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. It is about cutting that bill.

(Norman Baker, The Times, 2026)

Charging the army and the NHS (National Health Service) has been known about for years. It comes as no surprise to many as the NHS is not, to my knowledge, used by the Royals. The public being outraged or disgusted? Strong words but perhaps the public are just apathetic as the whole construction of that family is far, far removed from the everyday life of  what is normal. Claiming tax back on items such as stabling, the future Queen's dresses and Charles' polo ponies are, of course, common items in the affairs of everyday folk.