Britain's Prince Charles gets copies of cabinet papers

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Britain's Prince Charles gets copies of cabinet papers



LONDON: -- Britain’s Prince Charles has been receiving copies of confidential cabinet papers for decades The news has come to light after a freedom of information battle.

Charles who has previously been criticised for meddling in politics, is sent the papers along with the Queen.

The campaign group “Republic” says there is no legitimate need. The group has written to Prime Minister David Cameron saying, “it is plainly wrong that Charles can lobby on new policy proposals even before the public are aware of the existence of such proposals.”

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “It has been established practice for many years that the sovereign and the heir to the throne receive the minutes of cabinet meetings.

Earlier this year, following another Freedom of Information Act battle, the so-called “black spider letters” sent by the prince to ministers were released. Sent over a number of years, the letters covered a range of issues including conservation and homeopathy.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-12-16

[BuaBS]

..."is sent the papers..."

So they still can't use a computer ? 555

[JetsetBkk]

Hopefully he fed them to his plants.

[connda]

You Brits have a Monarchy. So why shouldn't your Monarchs be privy to what really going on. I don't see a problem, well, unless you think that the de-facto rulers of your country should be kept in the dark just as the average sheeple citizens are. Have some respect for your Monarchy.

[peterpop]

And what qualifies do you have to make a statement like that. Take a look at the charities he has founded. Take a look at his attitude towards multiculturalism and acceptance of diverse beliefs.

Can a troll like you compete.

Edited December 16, 2015 by seedy
Quote hidden post

[rijit]

I suppose it would be to much to expect for Charles to be doing his job and reading them !!!.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[seedy]

Troll / Flaming Post - and reply - Removed

[TheCruncher]

And what qualifies do you have to make a statement like that. Take a look at the charities he has founded. Take a look at his attitude towards multiculturalism and acceptance of diverse beliefs.

Can a troll like you compete.

I would also be good at founding charities if all my money came from the taxpayers.

[OMGImInPattaya]

It gives him something to discuss with the plants.

[Asiantravel]

if anyone listens to the Queen when she reads her speech upon the opening of Parliament every year there will be many times when she makes reference to " MY government ". so there should be no argument that the Queen is definitely entitled to these papers from her ministers.

and I don't understand the fuss why the heir to the throne shouldn't also be allowed to see them?

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been removed.

[chickenslegs]

And what qualifies do you have to make a statement like that. Take a look at the charities he has founded. Take a look at his attitude towards multiculturalism and acceptance of diverse beliefs.

Can a troll like you compete.

I would also be good at founding charities if all my money came from the taxpayers.

Off to the Tower for you (and anyone who Likeed your post).

BTW - you are wrong about his income http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-charles/8603323/Prince-Charless-income-Where-does-it-come-from.html

[Ulic]

And what qualifies do you have to make a statement like that. Take a look at the charities he has founded. Take a look at his attitude towards multiculturalism and acceptance of diverse beliefs.

Can a troll like you compete.

I would also be good at founding charities if all my money came from the taxpayers.

Actually I saw a program on this by a guy that debunks myths. By an academic type guy, posted

on you-tube. It went through the history of the British Monarchy and the financial agreements and

payments. What has been signed over to the British government, what the government pays etc...

etc....I was actually shocked to find that it is the British government/people that make of like

bandits on the centuries old agreement. Also as far as the monarchy not paying taxes this is also

a red herring according to tax experts. As in all business there are profits but also expense

deductions, deprecation on equipment, etc..etc...The tax experts say that by the time you go

through the process there would be no taxes to pay. All this and the tourism benefits of the

monarchy are not even factored in. The truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.

[MiKT]

And what qualifies do you have to make a statement like that. Take a look at the charities he has founded. Take a look at his attitude towards multiculturalism and acceptance of diverse beliefs.

Can a troll like you compete.

I would also be good at founding charities if all my money came from the taxpayers.

Not true, his Dutchy farms for instant make a lot of money and the Windsor property holdings are legendary.

For sure he has been reading the dispatches and consults with the Queen on them all the time. We are fortunate to have a Royal family that not only takes their duties to serve the country very seriously, but also can take and give a joke. The thought of using LM prosecutions to silence political dissent would ensure that their views on those trying to manipulate the laws were known most robustly. I can just imagine what the Duke would say and it would have a lot of f's in it.

But this is very, very old news; has somebody let Corben out of his box again.

Edited December 16, 2015 by MiKT

[NeverSure]

"The second largest source of income for Prince Charles is grants-in-aid, which meet the official cost of carrying out duties on behalf of the Queen.

Last year, more than £1.6 million was granted to the Prince under the Civil List for The Queen, covering property services, travel and communications. This included £450,000 for the maintenance of Clarence House, the official residence of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

The funding was also used for the upkeep of the Prince's offices in St James's Palace, which included the Household of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

Other grants included more than £1 million for air and rail travel for official engagements and covered the cost of using 32 Squadron of the RAF, The Queen's Helicopter and the Royal Train.

The Prince was given £78,000 for his press office and communications department.

Individual Government departments also met some of the Prince's costs directly, which amounted to £354,000 including £320,000 for staff from the Armed Services and £34,227 for visits abroad."

LINK

[jacko45k]

And what qualifies do you have to make a statement like that. Take a look at the charities he has founded. Take a look at his attitude towards multiculturalism and acceptance of diverse beliefs.

Can a troll like you compete.

I would also be good at founding charities if all my money came from the taxpayers.

Dear me, you seem to be poorly informed.

[RuamRudy]

You Brits have a Monarchy. So why shouldn't your Monarchs be privy to what really going on. I don't see a problem, well, unless you think that the de-facto rulers of your country should be kept in the dark just as the average sheeple citizens are. Have some respect for your Monarchy.

But he is not the monarch, merely the dull witted spawn of the monarch. Unfortunately, he will likely assume the role some day, before handing over to his even duller witted child, but for now he is simply a gilded, pampered drain on the tax payer.

As long as we continue to suffer this constitutional monarchy, then it has to be accepted that there is the aspect of the monarch being consulted on matters of state, but Brian is not the monarch, nor is his son, so it is undemocratic for them to be consulted on matters of state.

[pitrevie]

The fact is that for years the British monarchy has gotten away with underpaying tax on its wealth. No finance minister has ever been able to extract an exact picture of what the Queen actually should be paying tax on only what she deems necessary to reveal. After once declaring what she was worth, several years after a similar declaration a Labour MP remarked that she must have been investing her money in the Post Office Savings Bank.

It appear that in addition to Charles, William also gets to see various cabinet papers.

[Credo]

I am an admirer of the British Royal Family and IMO they are good value for money. When the Queen travels, she garners a great deal of business for the UK. The eccentricities of the other royals are entertaining and sometimes charming.

One of the great draws of going to London is the array of attractions related to the royal family. When the British public tires of them, they often head off to the US where they do reasonably well on the television talk shows and writing the occasional children's book.

The US, in general, is enamored with the Royal family. Of course, I don't know that most US citizens actually want a royal family, but they are admired from a distance.

[Caveat Emptor]

Must be more interesting reading boring cabinet papers than talking to Camilla.

[stevenl]

I am an admirer of the British Royal Family and IMO they are good value for money. When the Queen travels, she garners a great deal of business for the UK. The eccentricities of the other royals are entertaining and sometimes charming.

One of the great draws of going to London is the array of attractions related to the royal family. When the British public tires of them, they often head off to the US where they do reasonably well on the television talk shows and writing the occasional children's book.

The US, in general, is enamored with the Royal family. Of course, I don't know that most US citizens actually want a royal family, but they are admired from a distance.

Yes, totally agree, and I think more or less the same applies to many countries with monarchies (although less entertainment value).

[RuamRudy]

When the British public tires of them, they often head off to the US where they do reasonably well on the television talk shows and writing the occasional children's book.

The US, in general, is enamored with the Royal family. Of course, I don't know that most US citizens actually want a royal family, but they are admired from a distance.

I assume that you are talking to Fergie? I think it was her affair that caused Air-miles Andy to kick her out of the fold. The general feeling among the hoi poloi was, if I recall, disquiet at her behaviour being made public, but I am sure that most people don't doubt that the most of them spend their days leeching and snorting their way through tax payers' money. Without the protection of the firm, she was then open season to the press, which forced her hand - it wasn't that the peasants were revolting against her.

[Credo]

When the British public tires of them, they often head off to the US where they do reasonably well on the television talk shows and writing the occasional children's book.

The US, in general, is enamored with the Royal family. Of course, I don't know that most US citizens actually want a royal family, but they are admired from a distance.

I assume that you are talking to Fergie? I think it was her affair that caused Air-miles Andy to kick her out of the fold. The general feeling among the hoi poloi was, if I recall, disquiet at her behaviour being made public, but I am sure that most people don't doubt that the most of them spend their days leeching and snorting their way through tax payers' money. Without the protection of the firm, she was then open season to the press, which forced her hand - it wasn't that the peasants were revolting against her.

Well, Fergie was reasonably popular in the US and Phillip is reasonably well liked for his candor, but we mustn't forget about Prince Harry, who found that what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas.

[RuamRudy]

When the British public tires of them, they often head off to the US where they do reasonably well on the television talk shows and writing the occasional children's book.

The US, in general, is enamored with the Royal family. Of course, I don't know that most US citizens actually want a royal family, but they are admired from a distance.

I assume that you are talking to Fergie? I think it was her affair that caused Air-miles Andy to kick her out of the fold. The general feeling among the hoi poloi was, if I recall, disquiet at her behaviour being made public, but I am sure that most people don't doubt that the most of them spend their days leeching and snorting their way through tax payers' money. Without the protection of the firm, she was then open season to the press, which forced her hand - it wasn't that the peasants were revolting against her.

Well, Fergie was reasonably popular in the US and Phillip is reasonably well liked for his candor, but we mustn't forget about Prince Harry, who found that what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas.

Harry does appear to be more 'normal' if that is possible, although possibly this is due to his father (allegedly).

[geriatrickid]

Are the critics aware of who else reads the documents that Prince Charles reads? Depending upon the nature of the file it can range all the way up to to the thousands. Just who are these thousands? Civil servants. They include the Cabinet Secretary, Permanent Secretaries, Director Generals, Directors, Deputy Directors, Senior Aides, and the hundreds of Assistants and technical support staff to the aforementioned positions. Many of these positions will have already provided input through the implicated Minister's office. In plain language, Prince Charles access isn't that much different than other senior civil servants. The difference though, is that he can't force his will on anyone. Unlike civil servants, he can't sabotage proposals by going slow or leaking information or being uncooperative.

At least Prince Charles' loyalty to the UK and Scotland are assured. I don't believe the same can be said for Jeremy Corbyn who has access to sensitive documents as well. I suggest the panicking petards would be better served to first deal with the dangers of Corbyn.

[stevenl]

Are the critics aware of who else reads the documents that Prince Charles reads? Depending upon the nature of the file it can range all the way up to to the thousands. Just who are these thousands? Civil servants. They include the Cabinet Secretary, Permanent Secretaries, Director Generals, Directors, Deputy Directors, Senior Aides, and the hundreds of Assistants and technical support staff to the aforementioned positions. Many of these positions will have already provided input through the implicated Minister's office. In plain language, Prince Charles access isn't that much different than other senior civil servants. The difference though, is that he can't force his will on anyone. Unlike civil servants, he can't sabotage proposals by going slow or leaking information or being uncooperative.

At least Prince Charles' loyalty to the UK and Scotland are assured. I don't believe the same can be said for Jeremy Corbyn who has access to sensitive documents as well. I suggest the panicking petards would be better served to first deal with the dangers of Corbyn.

Good post, just a pity you find it necessary to drag Corbyn in it.

[RuamRudy]

Are the critics aware of who else reads the documents that Prince Charles reads? Depending upon the nature of the file it can range all the way up to to the thousands. Just who are these thousands? Civil servants. They include the Cabinet Secretary, Permanent Secretaries, Director Generals, Directors, Deputy Directors, Senior Aides, and the hundreds of Assistants and technical support staff to the aforementioned positions. Many of these positions will have already provided input through the implicated Minister's office. In plain language, Prince Charles access isn't that much different than other senior civil servants. The difference though, is that he can't force his will on anyone. Unlike civil servants, he can't sabotage proposals by going slow or leaking information or being uncooperative.

At least Prince Charles' loyalty to the UK and Scotland are assured. I don't believe the same can be said for Jeremy Corbyn who has access to sensitive documents as well. I suggest the panicking petards would be better served to first deal with the dangers of Corbyn.

Scotland is part of the UK - no need to single it out.

The difference is that those in receipt of said documents are, in the main, employed because of expertise or chosen by the electorate. Brian has limited expertise in anything, and certainly was never elected by the public. He gets these documents purely because he emerged from between the legs of a very exalted woman. This is far removed from democracy.

[MiKT]

You Brits have a Monarchy. So why shouldn't your Monarchs be privy to what really going on. I don't see a problem, well, unless you think that the de-facto rulers of your country should be kept in the dark just as the average sheeple citizens are. Have some respect for your Monarchy.

But he is not the monarch, merely the dull witted spawn of the monarch. Unfortunately, he will likely assume the role some day, before handing over to his even duller witted child, but for now he is simply a gilded, pampered drain on the tax payer.

As long as we continue to suffer this constitutional monarchy, then it has to be accepted that there is the aspect of the monarch being consulted on matters of state, but Brian is not the monarch, nor is his son, so it is undemocratic for them to be consulted on matters of state.

Sorry, but you are incorrect. It is Charles duty to review these paper and he certainly is not as dimwitted as you appear to be. He has been at the centre of everything that happens in the UK and outside for many, many years; he is extraordinarily well informed and takes his very onerous duties as seriously as Her majesty; and he has strong views of his own on a wide variety of subjects. But NOBODY is constrained to take his views into account. This is Real Democracy in action.

NB like his Father he is also a demonstrably brave man and has done a fantastic job in bringing up his splendid and brave sons in the face of difficulties that would have broken a lesser man. He will make a great King and be respected around the world.

How lucky we Brits are to have this Royal Family. Want to swap them for Ronald Regan, POTUS or god help us, wee Donald, the noo?

[RuamRudy]

You Brits have a Monarchy. So why shouldn't your Monarchs be privy to what really going on. I don't see a problem, well, unless you think that the de-facto rulers of your country should be kept in the dark just as the average sheeple citizens are. Have some respect for your Monarchy.

But he is not the monarch, merely the dull witted spawn of the monarch. Unfortunately, he will likely assume the role some day, before handing over to his even duller witted child, but for now he is simply a gilded, pampered drain on the tax payer.

As long as we continue to suffer this constitutional monarchy, then it has to be accepted that there is the aspect of the monarch being consulted on matters of state, but Brian is not the monarch, nor is his son, so it is undemocratic for them to be consulted on matters of state.

Sorry, but you are incorrect. It is Charles duty to review these paper and he certainly is not as dimwitted as you appear to be. He has been at the centre of everything that happens in the UK and outside for many, many years; he is extraordinarily well informed and takes his very onerous duties as seriously as Her majesty; and he has strong views of his own on a wide variety of subjects. But NOBODY is constrained to take his views into account. This is Real Democracy in action.

NB like his Father he is also a demonstrably brave man and has done a fantastic job in bringing up his splendid and brave sons in the face of difficulties that would have broken a lesser man. He will make a great King and be respected around the world.

How lucky we Brits are to have this Royal Family. Want to swap them for Ronald Regan, POTUS or god help us, wee Donald, the noo?

Dim as I may appear to you, I know that Charles currently has no constitutional role within the government. Even the Official website of the British monarchy makes that clear: "there is no established constitutional role for The Heir to the Throne". That he and his son are afforded access to privileged information is an outrage in a supposed democracy, and is totally unjustifiable.

He has been for some time, and continues to be a figure of derision within the UK so I am unsure why you think him being elevated to King will change that. Hopefully it will hasten then end of this ridiculous relic of bygone days.

I particularly like your enthusiasm for Phil - he did a fantastic job with his entire family. Each and every one of them such a credit to him and to the country - a litany of broken marriages and infidelity, alleged drug abuse, close links to dodgy foreign government and even dodgier foreign paedophiles. Yes, Phil should write a book on how to bring up kids.