""I've seen taxes spent on worse things than the House of Windsor.""

That's right, because there are no taxes being spent on the Royals per se.

They receive money from the civil list for the upkeep of the publicly owned premises ror which they are caretakers, not owners.

They pay in from the estates which they manage, far more than they receive.

Steve's comment re "pouring money over them" is simply the measure of his wilful ignorance.

The Duchy of Cornwall and the Crown Estates do not belong to the Royal Family, but are managed by them for the nation. They are in fact managed much better and more profitably than most business enterprises in this country.

The alternative is for the government to take over the management, or privatise them, and whichever party is in power that would be bloody disastrous.

Don T.