Labels: austerity nuptialsSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2010
BOM Royal Wedding Edition
OK, we've held off for a few days, but what is it going to cost? And more to the point, who's going to pay?
By rights, it should be the bride's parents. We all know that. Plus of course, Kate's parents could save a few bob by using party products from the family company. Maybe they already have - as Mrs T points out, the plastic ring in the pirate party bag looks awfully familiar, and it's currently 10% off:
Chas and Di's wedding in 1981 cost a reported £30m, which in today's terms would be about £170m - a mind-boggling sum in these straightened times.
Supposedly it's not going to cost taxpayers anything like that because HMQ and Charles are going to pick up the tab.
Fine.
Except that it turns out they're only paying for the service, the champers, and the cake - a few tens of mills at most. The main cost - the cost of security - will still be down to us. And based on other recent bunfights, such as the G20, the security bill could run up to £80m.
So what do we think? A sawn-off austerity wedding behind closed doors inside the Tower of London?
Our present Queen got married back in the original Age of Austerity in 1947. She had to put up with recycled jewelry and a wedding breakfast limited to 150 guests. Plus:"The two Royal kneelers, used during the service, were covered in rose pink silk. They were made from orange boxes, due to war time austerity, and date stamped 1946."
Wonder if they've still got those kneelers somewhere in the shed.
Monday, 22 November 2010
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