Norman Baker has called for a full parliamentary inquiry into royal funding, arguing that the monarchy must reform to survive. The former Liberal Democrat MP's demand follows a National Audit Office report revealing that Prince Andrew was not only living rent-free at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park but also pocketing income from renting out three cottages on the estate.
Baker highlighted that Prince Edward similarly resides rent-free at Bagshot Park, a 120-room property, while earning £130,000 a year from renting the stable block. He described such arrangements as 'ripping off the taxpayer' and noted that even royal supporters are questioning why ordinary taxpayers subsidise some of the richest people in the country.
The criticism extends beyond property deals. Baker pointed out that Prince William and King Charles have charged the military for training on Dartmoor, the Royal Navy for mooring ships, the NHS nearly £1 million annually for parking ambulances in a London warehouse, and the Ministry of Justice £1.5 million a year for an empty prison on Dartmoor.
Baker argued that the royal family now costs the public around half a billion pounds each year, yet continues to seek more. He called for the Public Accounts Committee to conduct a transparent inquiry into all aspects of royal funding, warning that support for a republic is growing, especially among young people, and that reform is essential for the monarchy's survival.
