Cash boost to Royal family

Press, 2 April 1979, Page 9

Cash boost to Royal family

fr'ZPA-Reuter London Members of the Royal family are to get an extra 1406.492 from the British Jovernment to meet exlenses for public engagements. The 8.9 per cent increase las been announced in the House of Commons by the Chancellor of the Exchequer ftlr Denis Healey). In answer to a question, ie said the Civil List allocaSon had risen to $4,546,197. The figures for 1979 aslume increases in salaries tnd wages in the present lay round of five per cent. They also include payment if the increase in London freighting which was •warded to staff in April, 1378. The Queen's Civil List alo c a t i o n rises from 13,719,313 to $4,049,431. The Queen Mother revives an extra $46,640. The Duke of Edinburgh lets an extra $8,480, and frincess Margaret's allownce goes up by $9434. Princess Anne’s allocation! 4ses from $113,844 to 1119.536. Allowances for Prince AnSew, Princess Alice, and the ichess of Gloucester remain unchanged. Prince Andrew did not receive his full allocation jnder the Civil List last tear because he was not eligible until his eighteenth Brhday on February 19. As he is still at school »d not undertaking public

engagements, he will receive only $1897 of his allocation. The-balance of his allocation will be invested by the Royal Trustees — the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Keeper of the Privy Purse (Major Sir Rennie Maudsley) —for future use.

Prince Charles gets nothing under the Civil List allocation as his income comes from the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall. A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: “In no way can these increases be accurately referred to as a pay rise. They are not. “They are the necessary expenditure incurred by the Queen and members of the Royal family in fulfilling their public engagements.” Four other members of the Royal family also receive an increase in their Civil List allocation met out of monies in the Consolidated Fund — which is totally reimbursed from the Queen’s private income, according to the Press Association. The Duke of Gloucester — who will take on more public duties — gets the largest jrise of $34,153. The Duke of Kent gets an extra $28,5461, and Princess Alexandra’s allowance goes up by $22,768. Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, receives an extra $2846. The cost of the Royal yacht Britannia and Aircraft of the Queen’s Flight are met separately by the Ministry of Defence. The cost of the Royal train is met by the Department of the Environment.