And the moron in charge of this fiasco insists they are a success, how can something which is massively over budget with nobody wishing to act as a sponsor be considered a success.

My point exactly.

"the extra £3m was mostly due to two tours that PoW undertook at HMG's request".
If Charles is so good and hard working why didn't he tell HMG to sod off ? Like the rest of his family any chance of a free holiday and he is getting a flunky to pack his case.

1/10 must try harder

To try and answer your very valid question, just for example, the annual cost of the Executive Office of the President of the US is $337 million in 2009. That, of course doesn't count what the other Departments pay. For examples the DOD (USAF) maintains 2 747's to act as transport, and DHS (Secret Service) provides around the clock protection for not only the President but also the complete family. Those expenses are not included in the budget above, although the USAF reported that it costs around $101, 083 per hour to fly the 747 version of Air Force One.

The cost of the Federal election is included (line 747 of the link) at 50 million. Most election costs are borne by the parties and not the federal or state government.

The PoW looks like a good deal when meansured against those numbers.

Definitely a co-ordinated effort to divert attention away from the Labour government.

Who cares? The Royal family will still be here in a hundred years. Thankfully long after the Labour Party ceases to exist.

Queensman, I agree with you 100%. The Government are just trying to divert the ever growing anger that the public feel to the self serving MPs who are supposed to support them.

This particular bit of 'leaked' information won't upset the British Taxpayer (except for the 'republican' minority) for one simple reason.

The MPs were stealing money from the public - HRH was simply doing his job. No switching of second homes, no duck islands, no claiming for dodgey blue movies etc...

Considering the amount of engagements he's attended (over 600 in one year) proves that he isn't sitting on his laurels raking cash in like it was going out of business.

The MPs should take note of HRH, and they'd do well to follow his example.

It's o-so encouraging to see how effective Brown's PR machine is in divertin attention away from him...
Let's see, he was recently booed at Normandy because he was there instead of our Queen, Lord Rogers came off very badly from a scuffle with Prince Charles, making him look like the undemocratic scurge.
Any sensible person would realise the public has got alot more time for the Royal family than his political cartel, but still they try to chip away at it. It makes me want to cry how out of touch his regime is... with joy, since it can only spell doom for Labour ultimately.

An unavoidable side affect of anti-psychotic drugs, as people who are smarter than me have said. Gordon could be hearing voices in his head telling him to save the world/kill Dave/shag Obama. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Regarding Chas and his 3 million quid, bear in mind that's a little over half the five million subsidy paid to Parliament's restaurants so that millionaire MPs and peers can get a steak dinner for two quid.

Thanks for reminding us of that, A_M. It's also reminded me of the HoC Wine Cellar, which costs us a fair bit, too.

Our average MP costs £200k in wages an diect expenses and a further £500k in Parliamenatary expeses and costs. Therefor The Prince of Wales costs around the same as four MP's.
I know which I consider better value and its not the thieving scum in Parliament.
Prince Charles actually puts in quite a bit of effort on behalf of this country, unlike the politicians who put in quite a bit of effort in serving themselves.

This is a diversionary non story. Read any of the media comments sections (Times, Sky, Whatever) and you will find that most comments are in support of the Prince. Westminster would do well to remember that their old tricks of diverting attention away from their own skulduggery don't fool quite as many people as hey used too. We all know it is a fairly naff atempt at alleviating the pressure on corrupt MP's. They know the public will mostly support the Prince Of Wales and they think that may mellow public attitudes toward expenses in general.

I wonder how much Brown's political trip to Chile was this year? Chartered Jet for him and his entourage and tame Journalists, with the cost of his master Lord Mandy of Boys who attended the same meeting (via Brazil). Somewhat near if not more than £3Million, and this was a political junket, NOT representing our country

The PM's holiday in Southwold cost the best part of a million, by the time security and everything else had been paid. And I believe some of his relatives were invited too.

It will be sad day indeed when Phil and Liz have gone ,the later generations are a waste of time /money/ space

HTF does he manage to spend £1.7million pa on non-official stuff? That strikes me as being a tad profligate for a bloke who has almost everything (except a good looking wife and a sensible accent).

Prince Charles is not a waste of space, money or time. He devotes his time to this country - and pretty much nothing else. His two children are following in his footsteps.

I know you are a republican tw@t, but try and make an honest appraisal about his duty to this country and how he fulfills that duty will you? After all, he doesn't lie to the electorate, he doesn't allow parliament to steal from it, he doesn't sell our nation out against the will of the people, and he gives more of a sh!t about this country than most of the scumbags we elect, whilst costing a great deal less.

Sounds like you're an obsequious, fawning, monarchist twat, with comments like that!!

You've sort of missed the republican point here!! It's all to do with the system not the individuals.....

But the system is - there is no place in today's world for monarchies. They have no power - except of the ceremonial/symbolic kind and yet sap resources that could be best spent elsewhere.

Well, it's the same old sh!t, different day isn't it. Republican tw@ts who would see the destruction of the monarchy, and offer us NOTHING of value in return. Parliament - have you been watching and reading the news over the last few weeks?

Even when the Monarchy was abolished hundreds of years ago by your ignorant type, they had to bring it back, and why? Because of the troughing, lying, thieving sh!theads who replaced the Monarchy not being fit to govern us.

Who would I rather have as head of state - some elected president?

Let's stand some of the elected bosses around the world next to HM The Queen and/or HRH PRince Charles.

Charles vs Clinton?
Charles vs Blair?
Charles vs Broon?
Charles vs Bush?
Charles vs Mugabe?
Charles vs ah, I could go on for weeks. Fact is, none of them even stand up to HRH Prince Charles when it comes to character, decency and loyalty to this country.

WTF are you republicans offering that's better than these people? Nothing at all.

Let's actually have a boss, with real powers, who can make decisions and hold Parliament to account.

Let's call that boss Her Majesty!

Mr Biped you put so eloquently what I was trying to say myself.

I'm racking my brains to think of an elected President who stands comparison with our Royal Family, but can't.

I'm looking at the countries which got rid of their Royal Families and then invited them back (Spain followed our precedent there).

Give me the Scandinavians and us with their constitutional monarchies and little used but available methods to keep the mad, greedy elected representatives in check, any day!