10 years ago
Showing posts with label Queen Elizabeth II. Show all posts
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Kate Middleton, Royal Family Celebrate Queen Elizabeth II 88th Birthday(Photos)
Yesterday, June 14th, Kate Middleton, along with the rest of the royal family, celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's 88th birthday in London.
The family honored the Queen with a Trooping the Colour parade, and were then escorted to the balcony of the Buckingham Palace. She was joined by husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Duchess Kate, Prince William, Prince Harry, son Prince Charles and his wife Camila, the Duchess of Cornwall.
The Queen looked appropriately regal in a blue satin silk coat and a white hat with a navy trim. She smiled as she waved to the thousands of Brits standing below. Prince Harry, meanwhile, shared several laughs with sister-in-law Middleton, 32, and older brother William, 31. See more photos below.....
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Queen Elizabeth II Reportedly Broke, Down To Her Last Million Due After Overspending
According to reports from Eonline, the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, is down to her last $1.6m in reserves after royal overspending. She was once the richest woman in the world (in the 80s) and in 2010 Forbes mag estimated her net worth at around $450 million and now she's broke?
Perhaps Queen Elizabeth II could learn something from her thrifty granddaughter-in-law Kate Middleton. The 87-year-old monarch has been overspending the royal family's famous fortune, according to a report published by the Commons Public Accounts Committee on Monday, Jan. 27.
Following her courtiers' advice, Her Majesty the Queen's reserve fund has fallen from £35 million ($58 million) in 2001 to just £1 million ($1.6 million) in 2014. The report states the royal family is "spending above their means and dipping into the reserves...the balance now stands at an all-time low." Continue...
The report also reveals that a number of palaces are in "dangerous or deteriorating" conditions. Forty percent of them, in fact, are "below acceptable standards." It's not exactly new information, as Queen Elizabeth II knows that there's an $82 million backlog in repairs due to tightened government funding.
Taxpayers fund the royal palaces in Britain, comprised of more than 300 buildings. In 2013, the public spent about £31 million ($51 million) renovating and operating the facilities. The report urged the treasury to "get a grip" and help the royal family to prevent "further damage and deterioration."
According to the report, royal staff members have been forced to catch rain in buckets to protect art and antiquities in some locations. Queen Elizabeth II's "antiquated" boilers are more than 60 years old.
"The Queen has not been served well by the Household and by the Treasury," said Margaret Hodge, the labor chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. "We got the impression that they just haven't tried to make greater savings. Here we are, we're all in it together, but they are failing to eek better value for the Queen. They are dipping into their reserves in a way that just isn't sensible."
"If you look at the Tower of London and its visitor numbers it makes you think that there's potential there. Have they done their darndest to maximize value for money?" Hodge wondered.
The royal household has pledged to introduce a 10-year maintenance plan to resolve the backlog. It has also pledged to increase the size of its reserve fund. Married to Prince Philip since 1947, Queen Elizabeth II has four children and eight grandchildren—including Prince William and Prince Harry.
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