PRINCE ANDREW could face private prosecution over criminal allegations of sexual assault, corruption and misconduct in public office, Republic campaign group announced today.A spokesman said that it is instructing a law firm of private prosecution specialists, Edmonds Marshall McMahon, to investigate and if appropriate, commence a private prosecution.Andrew gave up his dukedom and other titles ahead of the publication of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoirs earlier this month, whom he denies sexually assaulting.
There’s no “they”. The King claims money from the government in the form of the Sovereign Grant. He then disburses that money among the working royals as he sees fit.
The Sovereign Grant is in return for the King signing over the entire income of the Crown Estate to the government. The Sovereign Grant is pegged nominally at 15% of the income of the Crown Estate (currently 25% to fund the restoration of Buckingham Palace which is in bery poor condition).
So it’s a net gain as the government currently keeps 75% of the income from the Crown Estate.
But what is the crown estate? Is it money the royals produce by their work that wouldn’t exist without them? Or is it capital gains and land ownership that could also just belong to the country directly meaning the goverment would get 100% and not have to pay the sovereign Grant?
The Crown Estate is the hereditary property holdings of the Sovereign (as opposed to the holdings of the Duchy of Lancaster or the personal holdings of the individual).
If taken over by government, the taxpayer would have to fund a presidency anyway, which would likely cost more.