NEW DELHI: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gave Oprah Winfrey an extraordinary two hour interview accusing the royal family of racial hatred and hostility.
They also accused the British tabloids of racial baiting, claiming the palace did not offer them any protection.
Meghan Markle revealed that the trauma of being part of the royal family seriously damaged her sanity, leaving her on the verge of suicide. Harry then devised a plan to ease the pressure that eventually led the couple to move to the United States.
Controversy is nothing new to the royal family, which has been ravaged by scandals over the years. One of the most notorious is Edward VIII’s meeting with Adolf Hiter after his abdication, while Prince Andrew more recently resigned from his public duties on charges of sexual abuse and ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
The interview has proven extremely controversial as the couple drew both praise and criticism.
In the UK, ITV co-host Piers Morgan stormed his breakfast show set when his co-host described his behavior towards Meghan Markle as “pathetic” and “diabolical”.
After the interview, some critics of the royal family again called for the abolition of the British monarchy.
Interestingly, UK taxpayers are paying more money than ever for the royal family. The most recent Sovereign Grant accounts show the monarchy cost £ 69.4 million in 2020.
In short, the complicated system of financing the monarchy works when the UK government makes a payment called a Sovereign Grant to the Royal Household every year. Its value depends on how much money the Crown Estate real estate portfolio brought in.
That total stood at £ 82.4m in 2020, with the number increasing in recent years to cover renovations at Buckingham Palace.
Of this, the monarchy spent £ 69.4 million on official duties, including travel and other expenses such as staff and property maintenance. The upkeep and renovation of Buckingham Palace are the main reasons the total number is so high right now.
Buckingham Palace’s electrical, heating and plumbing systems all date from the 1950s and are in desperate need of replacement. As part of a 10-year renovation plan, cables and pipes are being replaced while asbestos is being removed from the building. New elevators are also being installed to help disabled visitors.
(Source: Statista)
