While the royal family is incredibly charitable, there are significant complaints against what the monarchy represents as an institution. Every year, Queen Elizabeth II receives the Sovereign Grant, which comes from the treasury and is funded by taxpayers. In 2016, the Sovereign Grant was about £43 million (Crown Estate in Record Treasury Payment). This is a significant amount of taxpayer dollars going towards a government entity that has virtually no influence over policy. The monarchy receives significant tax dollars every year to live in luxurious palaces, wear designer clothes, and host luxurious parties, but they are constitutionally obligated to not involve themselves in political matters (“Do We Really Need the Monarchy?”). An article in The Economist argues that “by some measures Britain is now more socially mobile than America. But it is hard to shake off the debilitating tag when the head of state and her hangers-on attain their positions not through popularity, talent or industry, but by the mere fact of their birth.” (“Should Britain Abolish the Monarchy?”) We are nowadays living in a much more progressive society than when the monarchy was at the height of its power, and Great Britain is in many ways much more socially mobile, giving the people the opportunity to forge their own path in society. However, it sends a different message when some of Britain’s most important public figures receive millions of pounds a year simply because they are the royal family (Jones).
