King Charles “shrieked” the first time he saw clingfilm and “trembled” when he came into contact with it, according to revelations contained in a book.
Tom Bower, who authored Rebel Prince, claims that the Queen’s husband Prince Phillip would often complain that Charles had a disconnect from the regular world, which was never clearer than when he struggled with the cling film.
Recalling an episode where the King came into contact with food wrapped up in cling film, the book reads:
“He walked into the dining room and shrieked. Fearing the worst, Camilla dashed in after him. ‘What’s this?’ asked her husband, pointing at the food.
“‘It’s cling film, darling,’ she replied.”
The revelations come after a new report published by campaign group Republic found that the Royal Household now costs British taxpayers more than half a billion pounds a year when you account for security bills, costs to local councils and lost revenue from state buildings used exclusively by the royals.
Analysis of data, studies and newspaper reports about royal finances has concluded that the monarchy now costs £510 million annually, which includes hundreds of millions of pounds not accounted for by the Sovereign Grant.
Spokesperson Graham Smith said: “The half a billion pound cost of the royals represents a scandalous abuse of public money. It is the result of royal corruption and secrecy, a family that believes it can spend public money with impunity.”
“If Rachel Reeves thinks tough decisions are needed in these difficult times, she needs to start with the royals. We’re being told the budget will be painful. Well if that’s true, the cuts must start at the top.”
“How can we talk about cutting the winter fuel allowance while wasting half a billion pounds on the royals? How does the government defend this rhetoric of painful decisions when the royals cost us enough to pay 18,000 NHS nurses?”
“The Sovereign Grant is spiralling out of control, set to rise by another £45m a year. Yet the true cost of the monarchy is well over half a billion pounds. And most of that is because the royals spend hundreds of millions a year on their own private lives.”