The British Monarchy costs the taxpayer nearly £334 million a year, according to a new report.
Republic – a campaign group opposed to the Monarchy in the UK – has claimed that the umbrella financial figure is as much as eight times the official figure.
This, the group says, is because of the cost of security and councils’ expenses for royal visits, allied to lost income to the Treasury from the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall.
Graham Smith, the Chief Executive of the campaign group, conceded the report represents "a challenge to spell out the full costs" of having a royal family.
However, the data contained in the report has been widely questioned, with many observes believing the official figures to be a much more accurate reflection of costs.
What’s more, supporters of the Queen point out that support for the Monarchy remains strong in the UK and the cost to taxpayers is lower than for alternative political systems elsewhere in the world.
In Italy, for instance, reports suggest the President costs Italian taxpayers in excess of £100 million on an annual basis.
Report claims to reveal ‘true cost of British Monarchy’
