A fiery debate over the Royal Family’s taxpayer funding took centre stage on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, with viewers and guests clashing over whether it’s time to stop footing the bill for the royals’ globe-trotting duties. Ed Balls and Ranvir Singh hosted the heated segment, welcoming royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams and Republic’s outspoken chief executive Graham Smith to debate whether royal trips, like King Charles and Queen Camilla’s current state visit to Italy, should still be funded through the sovereign grant.
That grant, which covers official royal duties, is already hefty – currently £86.3 million – and it’s set to jump to £132 million. While some say that’s justified, others think it’s completely out of touch during a cost-of-living crisis, reported the Manchester Evening News.
Richard Fitzwilliams was quick to defend the Royals, calling them a national asset. “What’s significant, I think, is when a country is in financial difficulty, there’s no doubt at all that services are being stretched. You’ve also got to maximise your assets, and our asset is the Royal Family,” he said. He argued that their overseas trips boost international relationships and even referenced King Charles’s past visit to the US to meet then-President Trump.
But Graham Smith wasn’t having it. “The idea that the monarchy brings anything into the economy has been debunked. That’s not true,” he countered, before diving into details of how the Crown Estate and Duchy of Lancaster bring in personal income for King Charles – a sticking point for critics.
Viewers were asked to weigh in, too, with a live poll showing a clear mood shift. A whopping 72% said royal trips should no longer be publicly funded, leaving just 28% in favour of continuing the support.
That stat lit the fuse in the studio. As Richard tried to argue the importance of diplomacy, Ed Balls cut him off, pointing at the poll. “You’ve lost the debate, you’ve lost the debate! Graham won; it’s where we are! Can we move on?!”
The clash spilled onto social media, where the divide grew even sharper. One viewer said: “Time to knock this unnecessary expenditure on the head,” while another wrote: “Royalty has had its day. Scrap the lot.” But not everyone agreed. One defender pointed out the tourism draw, saying: “There are always Americans interviewed at royal events who say they came over specifically for the royal event… This, in turn, brings in revenue.”
With emotions running high and public opinion shifting, it’s clear the Royal Family’s spending is under serious scrutiny – and people aren’t staying quiet about it.
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