Expert Comment

"The news that Queen Camilla will not receive an annuity for her official duties highlights the historically sensitive issue of the financing of the monarchy by Parliament and the taxpayer. In part it led to civil war (1642-51) when Charles I tried to rule without Parliament and to raise money to finance the crown by other means. After the Glorious Revolution of 1688, Parliament created the ‘civil list’ as a means by which the state could control the financing of the royal households.

Their power was further strengthened in 1760 when the new king, George III had to surrender revenues from the Crown Estate to Parliament. Monarchs themselves have taken steps to reduce their expenditure and there is much discussion that Charles wishes to reduce the members of the royal family who receive payment for their duties. In 1931, during the Great Depression, George V did not take £50,000 from the civil list in recognition of the austerity faced by the rest of the population. In 2011 the civil list was replaced by the ‘sovereign grant’ which is based on a percentage of the profits of the Crown Estate but in spite of this change Prince Philip retained the annuity he had received under the old civil list.

The decision not to extend this to Camillia recognises the evolving nature of the relationship between Parliament, the monarch and money."