When a stranger asked King Charles III this week how much the royal family costs the public, he responded unexpectedly.
During an appearance in Suffolk earlier this week, the 76-year-old British monarch was heckled by a passerby.
On July 22, the King spent the morning in Newmarket with his wife, Queen Camilla, visiting The National Stud and the racing courses that border Cambridge.
They met with representatives from a charity that supports horse racing.
Hours earlier, on their way to a royal engagement with Ipswich Town CEO and chairman Mark Ashton, the King and Queen met with a large crowd on the town’s High Street.
However, in a video released by The Scot, the monarch just said, “Ah, yes,” before moving on to the next individual.
The individual who posed the brave question continued to shout, saying, “Why do you only pay your gardeners the minimum wage?”
However, he was already out of sight and conversing with someone else, so he was unlikely to have heard the straight money question.
In another footage, a woman exclaims, “Do you think it’s fair we pay you £27 million per year from the Duchy of Lancaster?”
However, it was unclear whether The King heard, as he merely continued to walk without responding.
Social media users have weighed in on the two-word response in the comments section of the Instagram video.
A user joked, “This response is unintentionally hilarious…”. A second wrote, “‘Ah yes’ omg he admitted it.”
According to a third user, “I’m not a fan of the royal family personally, but let’s be fair and a bit more informed, the UK monarchy actually contributes significantly to the economy, especially through tourism and the global attention it brings.”
A fourth person agreed: “I’m not a royalist by any stretch but even I know the royal family bring in more money to the UK economy than they cost it.”
Another Twitter user joked, “Hats off to this man who queued patiently so he could ask Charles a few pointed questions in his face!”
“Look at him shuffling around. AVOIDANCE ALERT,” someone else responded.
This follows the Sovereign Grant Report, which reported the British monarchy’s annual finances.
Under the Sovereign Grant Act of 2011, the UK government makes an annual payment to the royal family to cover the King’s official expenses, such as travel, royal engagements, and personnel.
Between 2024 and 2025, the sum was £86 million; according to the most recent accounting, it has risen to £131 million and will remain stable throughout 2026 and 2027.
The post King Charles has unusual response to being confronted by stranger about how much royal family costs the public appeared first on Timeless Life.
