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| The cost of minor royals
to the taxpayers has been criticized |
| 1992: Queen to be taxed from next
year |
England have
A British monarch is to pay income tax for the first time since the
1930s.
The Prime Minister told the House of Commons the Queen had told him
earlier this year that she wished to make changes to her tax arrangements.
She will also take responsibility for the working expenses of most of
her family under changes John Major said should be implemented in April
1993.
The decision has been broadly welcomed by Westminster and is fully
supported by the Prince of Wales, who already pays some tax on his income.
Buckingham Palace has denied the announcement is related to growing
public concern about the rising cost of the monarchy.
Questions have been raised about who will foot the bill for repairing
Windsor Castle, which was severely damaged in a fire last week.
But a palace spokesman said the Queen and Prince Charles had made their
decision before the July summer recess of Parliament.
Under the new arrangement the only royals who will be paid for by the
public will be the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen Mother.
Chairman of the influential Tory backbench 1922 Committee Sir Marcus
Fox said public pressure should now come off the monarchy.
And constitutional expert Lord St John of Fawsley said the decision
proved the Queen was in tune with public opinion.
"She's a wise woman - she's known nine prime ministers and she's been
on the throne for 40 years," he said.
But historian David Starkey told the BBC even bigger changes were
needed.
"This is not the solution, this is simply addressing the symptom - the
solution is to find something positive for the monarchy to do," he said.
In Context
Since 2001 the monarchy have also published their annual accounts in an
attempt to make royal finances more transparent.
The Queen's duties as head of state continue to be funded with public
money. In 2001 and 2002 this expenditure was revealed to be about ?5m. Her
personal fortune is estimated to be about ￡75m.
