King Charles Put On the Spot with Awkward Question About Royal Spending During Latest Outing

King Charles is no stranger to public scrutiny over the royal family's spending of taxpayer money. In September 2024, reports estimated the monarchy cost its citizens around $688 million annually, excluding the sovereign grant from the Treasury. While the royals have dodged the criticism with a pinch of salt, Charles recently faced the brunt of this silence during a July 22 visit to Newmarket. As he greeted the crowd, a video caught a man boldly questioning him about the family’s backbreaking spending habits, prompting a vague, two-word response from the King.

The video shared on X (formerly Twitter) shows Charles engaging with the crowd in a walkabout alongside Queen Camilla. As reported by People magazine, the heckler bluntly asked the monarch, "Why does your family cost us half a billion pounds a year, Charles?" The King, who heard the question, paused for a moment before replying, "Ah, yes," as he continued down the line. Unsatisfied with the response, the man pressed further, "Why do you only pay your gardeners minimum wage?"—a question that was met with deafening silence from Charles. The video then cuts to another moment in the walkabout, where the same person sarcastically yelled, "You are my King." Later, he appeared to have added, "God bless, Your Majesty."

As the video went viral, royal fans chimed in to offer their two cents on the awkward ambush. A royal watcher commented, "Doesn't care a jot... They're laughing at us... And we let them!" Another echoed, "No answer to the questions from the public, of course." A netizen quipped, "Half a million pounds buys a lot of guillotine parts." Meanwhile, a fan who begged to differ opined, "They must be arrested for disrespect to Head of State... delusional people," referring to the heckler. 

The same clip also captured a woman asking Charles, "Do you think it's fair we pay £27 million a year from the Duchy of Lancaster?" The King appeared to pause for a moment to respond, but his reply wasn’t captured in the footage. The Duchy of Lancaster is a private estate owned by Charles, comprising 44,748 acres of land across England and Wales. Much like the Duchy of Cornwall, which generates income for Prince William, both duchies were established centuries ago to provide income for the monarch and the heir apparent.

With regards to the royal family's lavish spending of taxpayer money, Tyla reported last month that despite Britain's ongoing financial crisis, the Sovereign Grant is set to increase by more than $61.5 million. This funding will see a 53% rise from 2024–2025 to 2026–2027. Between 2024–2025, the sum stood at a whopping $117.38 million and is expected to reach $178.79 million, infuriating the public. The Sovereign Grant, funded entirely by citizens, is reviewed every five years to ensure the monarchy is being provided with an appropriate level of financial support.