Readers' letters: Royal fanaticism is bad for democracy

Well, another royal extravaganza is over. As loyal subjects take down the bunting that celebrated the Queen’s 70 years of unadulterated privilege, the rest of us will wonder how in times of great hardship this waste of public finances can be justified.

“They” lie to the people when they say there is no money for the essentials while while spending vast amounts of resource on an institution that bars Catholics from ascending to the throne.

One female television contributor actually said that the Queen is the most wonderful woman in the world. How could she believe such nonsense? This worrying type of fanaticism I can't get my head around is usually reserved for religious figures and can only be bad for democracy.

Now Scotland faces the prospect of being lorded over by King Charles and Queen Camila. And “they” wonder why the call for Scottish independence is still to the fore.

Onlookers crane for a view of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in London on Sunday

Jack Fraser, Musselburgh

Jubilee cheers

Listening yesterday morning to many miserable Scots badmouthing the Platinum Jubilee celebrations I was tempted to turn off my radio.

Although not an ardent royalist, I was very cheered to see the scenes of thousands of people in London and across the UK using the Jubilee weekend to be happy and to enjoy being together after the two sad, lonely years of the pandemic. This was a unique opportunity to celebrate the 70-year rule of a dedicated, hardworking non-political head of state and provided a temporary, much-needed distraction from thinking about the brutal war in Ukraine and the grim cost of living crisis.

While our monarch has many detractors because she is very rich, the same affliction is shared by many UK politicians and indeed other heads of state around the world.

Personally, I dread the possibility of Nicola Sturgeon, retired from politics, or her ilk becoming the head of state of a republican independent Scotland. This would provide me with much less motivation to participate in a celebratory picnic in Princes Street Gardens!

Sally Gordon-Walker, Edinburgh

The Queen’s money

Leah Gunn Barrett (Letters, 4 June) advises that the Queen has used offshore tax havens to avoid paying tax and complains that taxpayers fund her income.

The Sovereign Grant comes from the Crown Estate. This money pays for official royal duties and upkeep of occupied royal palaces. The Crown Estate originated from lands once owned by the monarch. In England in 1760 and in Scotland in 1832, an arrangement was made that surplus revenue from ownership of the Crown Estate would be exchanged for an income from government. Until recently the amount given back was 25 per cent of the profit, with the balance being used as general funding. The assets are part of the hereditary possessions of the Sovereign and are therefore not owned by the Queen nor Government.

It was an investment through a third-party international fund made by representatives of the Duchy of Lancaster that she refers to investing in Brighthouse. This investment was in The Cayman Islands, a British overseas territory where the Queen is the monarch. Income from the Duchy of Lancaster is paid to The Prince of Wales. It has been confirmed by Buckingham Palace that tax has been paid on this investment as though it was in the UK. Any inference that the Queen is using a tax haven is not correct.

After her criticisms of the Queen, Ms Barrett mentions a recent survey resulting in her comment “No wonder support for the monarch is just 45 per cent in Scotland”. Is this not the same as the percentage wanting independence?

Alastair Murray, Edinburgh

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