Should We Pay For Eugenie’S Wedding?

[thesshhh]

Should the public purse be used to fund today’s £2,000,000-plus wedding of Princess Eugenie, who has no royal duties? I can’t see what qualifies her to have such a public televised wedding. She’s hardly a significant royal and over the years her parents haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory. Maybe she has Meghan envy

[fiction-factory]

Hi. Can you provide a link to show what the figure of £2million plus includes please. I'm not sure which channel is broadcasting -if not the BBC then that's a coomercial decision for the channel- but I doubt there will be much interest so I am surprised

[Jackdaw33]

Looks like her elder sister has been left firmly on the shelf.

[Cloverjo]

I think ITV is broadcasting it. I'll look for a link.
The taxpayer is paying for the security, not the wedding itself, I believe.

I won't be watching any way up.

[DTCwordfan]

this number was mentioned on Radio 4 this morning

[mallyh]

it's on itv on an extended this morning from 9.25 to 12.30 then at 8 0clock .I think her parents should pay but because the senior royals will be there they have to have protection .

[DTCwordfan]

this number was mentioned on Radio 4 this morning

and probably the Kazakhstan Embassy is paying if Randy has anything to do with it.

[Cloverjo]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45827183

The costs are mentioned at the end of that article.
You can watch the wedding in all its glory during the breakfast show. Hooray!

[fiction-factory]

Thanks cloverjo.

[zebo]

Allegedly her delightful father is paying for the wedding etc, the quoted £2m is for the extra security, particularly as she'll be having a horse'n'cart ride on public roads. Her cousins managed it far more simply and cheaper but their parent is Princess Anne, not Prince Andrew, and she's not known for excessive profligacy.

[DTCwordfan]

to some extent the cost numbers at these events are fictitious - it's on the basis of the cost of having to bring the security in 'as new' - even if there was no wedding today, we would still be shelling out the two mill for them to be on other duties or milling around and doing not much.

[naomi24]

Apparently the £2m is for security alone and is funded by the police, ultimately the taxpayer – and no, we shouldn’t be footing the bill.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/princess-eugenie-wedding-cost-taxpayer-a3959736.html

According to the BBC “Buckingham Palace says the cost of supplying security "is a matter for the police".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45746452

I also read that talks with the BBC on broadcasting the event broke down but it is being screened by ITV as part of their ‘Good Morning’ programme.

I suspect that the BBC told the Father of the Bride to take a hike. She’s a minor royal – I doubt anyone outside the UK has a clue who she is. It’s a tacky attempt to equal the grandeur Harry & Meghan’s wedding. Despite their royal heritage these people are devoid of class, dignity ... and sense.

[fiction-factory]

From the BBC piece:


The families are paying for the private aspects of the wedding.

However, republican campaigners say taxpayers face an estimated £2m security bill.

The campaign group Republic argues that as Princess Eugenie, the ninth in line to the throne, does not carry out public duties, the families should foot the bill.

Buckingham Palace says this is a matter for the police.

I wonder whether the 'republican campaigners' have explained how the 2 million figure was arrived at. Often these 'costings' from campaign groups mix up fixed and variable costs. The figure, if broadly true, does seem high but if it is because the senior royals are attending then i suppose there would be security costs (but surely not anything like £2m) if they were opening a hospital or attending a festival etc, so it's just the price we pay for having senior royals.

Anyway, the "I can’t see what qualifies her to have such a public televised wedding" part of the OP seems to have been cleared up. The only 'qualification' is that a commercial channel (its advertisers) feels it's worth paying for

[thesshhh]

I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s ITV who got paid to screen it, to save Eugenies embarrassment after the BBC turned it down. Why would any broadcaster want to shell out for her wedding?

[naomi24]

Adverts pay for commercial television. Thanks for BA.

[fiction-factory]

I don't know why ITV are doing it as it's of no interest to me or anyone I know, but it's not an issue that troubles me as they are a commercial organisation

[woofgang]

because there will be a LOT of people who want to see it.

[fiction-factory]

I think people may look in out of curiosity to see who is attending and what they are wearing. Will Philip be there, for example, and how ill will he look.

[naomi24]

Philip has said he'll 'see how he feels'. I'll be surprised if he turns up. Having to rub shoulders with Fergie for a day can't be a happy prospect for him. According to all accounts he can't stand her.

[cassa333]

Andrew himself is known to be a spender and high and mighty.

He insisted on everyday security for the girls even though the Anne’s children don’t get it.

I would make him pay extra council tax to cover the cost ;-)

[Rockrose]

I have no issues with contributing towards it.