That being said, I wonder if Scotland will now demand its independence?
Also, article in today's NY Times: As most British have had to deal with economic austerity, King Charles has spent the past 50 years turning his estate into a billion-dollar portfolio. Something very wrong in this concept, I admit.
@Isabelle Thank you for posting about Charle's holdings. Adds a pretty grotesque picture to the British monarchy. I'd like to see Scotland ask for independence.
Yes, I'm shocked that, at minimum, Charles is not required to pay inheritance taxes as every other Brit is required to do. The dollar amount from this alone to the British government would be enormous. Huge inequity here.
It would go a good way towards mitigating the elitist image if Charles would donate a few of his holdings to the state to use as a national park, or other facility that everyone could use and enjoy.
Also he could promote goodwill amongst the former colonies by returning some artifacts and other treasures to their countries of origin. For example, I read that the Indian Koh-i-noor diamond is part of the Crown jewels. That would be an easy thing to return, I would think. It's not like it's worth keeping for scholarly pursuits or for its monetary value (because I doubt the Crown would sell it). There must be more "low hanging fruit" like this that he could start with.
That said, I do think the monarchy has great value as a national focal point and spiritual/moral anchor for the British people. I mean, I'm American, yet the death of the Queen leaves a small part of me feeling unmoored. Strange but true. But they do have room to scale back, and they really should in this era.
I also have a different thought of the House of Windsor. I love the history of course but I now see the value in a continuity that stabilizes. I read a few years ago that the monarchy brings in more tourist dollars than it costs. Well assuming that is still the case, I feel more accepting of what it means to some. Of course those wanting to bring it down also hold a balance for whatever happens next. I recently watched Netflix - House of Windsor, I recommend it, especially for the early history. I too never saw Charles being king for long.
@dolphinspirit There is a glitch on the site such that the page doesn't automatically refresh after you make a post. For the time being, when you make a new post or reply to a post, click "add reply", wait a few seconds, and then manually refresh the page. Your post should appear without duplication.
@jeanne-mayell How is this different from paying property tax? It can get pretty high.