Inheritance tax, property, and public money: Our first billionaire king have some tough questions to answer.
The recent furore surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the timing of a three-part documentary series on royalty, 'What's the Monarchy For?', couldn't be more prescient. With about half of Britain's population questioning the purpose of the monarchy, an octogenarian David Dimbleby, whose own broadcasting privilege is hereditary, presents a landmark audit of royalty.
The Dimbleby dynasty's involvement with the monarchy, from Richard's coronation tricks to David's royal occasions coverage, has been akin to Netflix's role with the Beckhams. However, this series takes a different approach, reflecting public opinion on the royal family, which currently hovers around 50%.
The documentary's editorial decision to separate episodes on power and money is criticized for not shining light on the royal family's finances. The first episode revisits political moments, like Boris Johnson's proroguing of parliament, while the second focuses on the monarchy's wealth, including their tax status and vast Duchies.
The series highlights the monarchy's lack of inheritance tax, voluntary income tax reintroduced in the 1990s, and the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall's tax evasion. These Duchies, with their medieval origins, generate substantial profits, with assets including land, industrial estates, and service stations. The BBC's investigation reveals the monarchy's immense wealth, raising questions about the purpose of the monarchy.
However, the documentary fails to address key issues, such as the late Queen's funding for Andrew's legal bills, the peppercorn rent Prince Edward pays for Bagshot Park, and the royal wills' secrecy. The series also overlooks the growing republican movement and the role of organizations like Graham Smith's Republic pressure group in challenging the monarchy's finances.
The author concludes that the monarchy's financial practices and lack of transparency are causing public discontent, and that real change cannot come from the establishment. Instead, it will take tenacious, young, angry outsiders to drive the momentum for a royal overhaul.
