WHAT ROYALTY COSTS THE BRITISH NATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1763, 5 September 1885, Page 26

WHAT ROYALTY COSTS THE BRITISH NATION.

FEOM AN AMERICAN POINT OF VIEW. It is a familiar tale— told with more or less detail every time a vote for special grants to the Royal Family of Great Britain takes place, of the amount they cost the much-enduring British taxpayer. Sympathy with this individual, however, may be worse than wasted, for those who protest against such grants are in a hopeless minority at all times, and it is reasonable to conclude that the luxury of a monarchical form of government is considered by the majority as worth the price paid for it. The children of Queen Victoria have been especially lucky in the fact that they are also the children of the taxpayers, and the bills for their maintenance have been paid with only a slight ripple of discontent. The Princess Beatrice is the iast of the family to need the vote, and it is fair to suppose that a cessation from these grants will take place for a time, especially as the Prince of Wales has thought it expedient to decline asking for a vote for the expenses of his eldest son, who will soon set up an establishment of his own, which his father will, at least for a time, pay for. The Queen, however, has less hesitation in calling upon Parliament for her children, and the following shows how much they are receiving and have up to the present year obtained. The list excludes the cost of the Queen, but includes her Majesty's sisters, cousins, and aunts, as well as her sons and daughters. Taking these in order of birth, we find that the oldest— Victoria, Crown Princess of Prussia — was granted an annuity of £8000 on her marriage to the Crown Prince of Germany, and the sum has continued since 1858, making a total so' far of £216,000 as annuity to date. Besides this, a dowry of £40,000 was given her on her wedding, making a grand total of about £256,000. The Prince of Wales, the second child, takes by far the lion's share of the family emoluments. Since 1863 the heir-apparent has received £50,000 a year— or £880,000 in all: As Duke of Cornwall he also receives about £60,000 a year, making £100,000 ; while Marlborough House is given him as a London residence. As salary for military services an additional £1000 yearly comes in. On his marriage he received £23,455 as a special grant. Just before, on attaining his majority, he dropped into the accumulations of the income of the Duchy of Cornwall, equal to £601,721. About £220,000 of this was invested in the purchase of a country estate, and he has since bought other property. As a private landowner he owns 14,884 acres, yielding nearly £9400 a year rental. If his wife is left a widow she will yet receive £23,000 a year from the British Consolidated Fund. The expenses of the Prince of Wales haye been heavy, made so in large degree by the disinclination of his mother for public life since the death of the Prince Consort. When anything special, therefore, occurs, the Prince gets an extra. His visit to India cost the nation £142,000, £60,000 being especially given for " pocket money " and for the exercise of generosity.

The Duke of Edinburgh has been especially lucky. He attained his majority in 1866, and received an annuity of £15,000 a year till 1874, equal to about £120 ; 000. This was counted as well enough for a single young fellow's board and lodging — or board, because the royal palace of Clarence House ■ was fitted up for him at.the expense of Parliament — but was not considered enough to get married on ; so, in 1874, £10,000 was added, making his income £25,000. This, for ten years, makes £250,000, which, with the £120,000, equals £370,000. A young man's expenses must be pretty heavy when he has to add to this income by putting in work on odd jobs. As rear-admiral in his mother's navy, and Superintendent of Naval Reserves, he ekes out his income by a salary of £1396. Prince Alfred was especially lucky in his- choice of a wife, who brought him a private fortune of £90,000, a marriage portion of £300,000, and a life annuity of £11,250. At her death these trifles pass to her five children. These sums, however, come out of the Russian exchequer, but if the Duchess of Edinburgh is left a widow she is not likely to want, for John Bull will pay her £6000 a year to eke out her income. The possibility is that, even in case his wife's death withdraws from his family the £400,000 or more she possesses, the Duke of Edinburgh will not be left to struggle with a family of five on a mere £25,000 a year, for he is heir to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, of which his Uncle Ernest is the wealthy Grand Duke. When Uncle Ernest shuffles off this mortal coil his "nevvy" drops in for another income of £30,000 a year at least, making £55,000. These considerations prompted Peter Taylor, George Anderson, Sir Charles Dilke, and Mr Muntz, Radical members of Parliament, to oppose, in 1874, any additional grant to the Prince, on the ground that it was rough on the taxpayers to so reward the Duke of Edinburgh " for marrying the richest heiress in Europe." They took a divi-

sion on the vote in the House of Commons, and were defeated by 162 to 18. Princess Heleua, the fourth child, married a poor man, one of the " pauper German princes," as the English Radicals affectionately term them. She had a marriage portion of £30,000, and has received an annuity of £5000 a year since 1866, or £114,000—a total of £140,000. Then her husband had to be provided for. The Queen gave him a job to look after the Home Park at Windsor at £500 a year, -which is paid out of her salary, and he is also in the pay of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests. With a free lodging thrown in —Cumberland House, Windsor Park—they have been able to scrape a living. Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lome, has also had a dowry of £26,000, and £6000 a year since 1871 (£84,000), or £110,000 in all. This annuity wfis also voted against, but only three members so protested—Taylor, Dilke, and the late Postmaster-General Faweett. This lady has rooms in Kensington Palace for a residence. Her husband, the Marquis of Lome, was Governor-General of Canada, at £10,000 a year salary, for several years. He is heir to the Dukedom of Argyll, and at no distant day will have an iucome of £50,862 yearly from that source. Princess Alice, the late Grand Duchess of Hesse, received the same dowry, £26,000, and an income of £6000 a year, making a total, during her life, of £166,000. It ought to be mentioned that no one opposed the grant to her, the most estimable member of the whole family. The Duke of Connaught, on attaining his majority in 1871, received £15,000 a year, and nine years later had another £10,000 added, making a total of £170,000. As major-general in the army, and having other appointments, he gets auother £4000 a year. His wife brought him a dowry of £15,000, and the Duke settled £1500 a year on her. If he dies she will get £6000 a year from a grateful country—though why grateful nobody knows. The vote for hi& increased annuity stood 151 to 13. The Queen gave the young couple rooms in Buckingham Palace, but the Government built them a nice house at Bagshot Park. The Duke now commands the military post at Meerut, in India, and doubtless a goodly number of rupees is added to his income thereby. ] The youngest son, the lately deceased Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, received £15,000 a year, and this was increased, as his brothers' incomes were, to £25,000 when he was married. Now his widow receives £6000 a year. In all the deceased Prince received £140,000. The Princess Beatrice is not likely to fare worse than her sisters. ' Other members of the Royal Family, sisters, cousins, uncles, and aunts, have good slices. Cousin George, Duke of Cambridge, pockets and has pocketed since 1850 a £12,000 annuity; his other emoluments bring this stipend up to £22,203 yearly. _ \ Perhaps the least objectionable of all these payments is the military salary of Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, who is a soldier, and served with distinction in the Crimea, especially at Inkerman, while captain in the Guards. He receives in all £3757 yearly. • i The total yearly charge of the Royal Family and immediate relatives is as follows: — i

JE853,62p The amounts paid to Major-General Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar and Admiral Princ? Leiningen are excluded from the list, as the former has as good right by service to his emoluments as major-general and commander of a military division as any other officer o|i like grade; while the Admiral, who never saw a shot fired in anger, is yet paid out of the Navy Estimates. Both these are added to the list of Royal dependents by the English Radical Press foolishly, for their salaries are working ones? and are not charges on the Consolidated Funds. It is in such matters that the Radicals overstate their case, which is strong enough on their side without such evident straining for effect. — Boston Globe. !

rhe Queen ... ... ... ... 619,383 Prince of Wales ... ... ... 120,(367 Duke of Edinburgh ... ... ... 26,5$ Duke of Connaught ... ... ... 29,000 Princess Koyal of Germany ... ... 8,040 Princess Helena ... ' ... ... 6,000 Princess Louise ... ... ... 6,000 Duchess of Albany, widow of Prince Leopold ... ... ... ... 6,000 Duchess of Cambridge ... ... 6,000 Princess Augusta ... ... ... 3,080 Duke of Cambridge ... ... ... 22,203 Princess Mary (Duchess Teck) ... ... 680 Total ... ... ...£853,629