The Civil List - the whole truth!!!

I read a vast amounts of utter rubbish about the cost to 'the taxpayer' of the royal family; the Civil List is funded by profits from the Crown Estate; there is in fact NO cost to 'the taxpayer'.

Prior to 1760, the royal family received a grant from Parliament (which was indeed funded by taxes) of around £900 a year. It was, however, decided in 1760 that the whole cost of the Civil List should be provided by Parliament IN RETURN FOR the surrender - to the government - of the hereditary revenues, by King George III for the duration of his reign.

The revenues were those received from what is now known as 'The Crown Estate' which includes, amongst other valuable assets, Regent Street and Regents Park. This arrangement still applies today.

I find it astonishing that although these facts are VERY OBVIOUSLY known by the government and by journalists, we are continually led to believe that taxpayers' money supports the Royal Family; when in fact the Treasury makes a profit from the crown estate, which is now valued at £5 BILLION; its income last year was £184.4m - against a Civil List of about one tenth of that amount!

Presumably it suits the government that 'the taxpayer'is not made aware of this. Whether we believe that the royal family is 'good value' or not, we should not be told lies about what they cost us!