What can you buy for 69p?

Ma'am...

It’s been a sticky few weeks for the Royal PR teams (especially the Prince of Wales’).

Firstly, the architect Richard Rogers reacted rather vociferously at the Prince (allegedly) killing his £3 billion plan to redevelop Chelsea Barracks.

Today, meanwhile, we discovered that the cost to the taxpayer of keeping the Prince has increased by 24% over the past year. (£3.03 million vs £2.45 million the previous year).

Nice work if you can get it!

The overall total cost to the public of keeping the monarchy increased by £1.5m to £41.5m in the 2008/9 financial year, working out at approximately 69p for everyone in Britain.

I must be honest, my views on the Royals have changed significantly over the years, and this may come as a shock to many of those that know me…

As a Scottish youngstrel, I spent quite some time disappointed we were a few centuries behind the French in calling for their heads.

Now as a ‘grown-up’, I see the intrinsic value in them, their homes, every single aspect of their lives (good and bad), played out in the media. 

The global interest in them as human beings, their positive influence on business (sorry Mr Rogers), and of course, to tourism…

So, weighing up all that, I’d quite happily let the goverment tax me another 69p if times got tough at Buckingham Palace…

Iain Morrison is a senior marketer in the British Tourism Industry. And hopes our Royalty last another century at least…