The Zine Imperial Edition | Page 27

The Royal Wedding

By: Benson Stockdale

On May 19th, 2018, with the whole world watching, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry tied the knot and were proclaimed Duke and Duchess of Sussex. One would think that this has more to do with politics but the only sections this would appear under in a newspaper today is World and Celebrity Gossip. This is all due to the fact that the head of state in Great Britain has absolutely zero political power. The United Kingdom isn’t even considered a kingdom anymore. So why should the royal family even exist?

The Royal wedding cost a reported 2.7 million*. That’s over 4 times the amount an average British wedding costs. This is for flowers, food, Meghan’s dress, and other expenses. What’s important to note, however, is that all of this was paid for by the royal family itself, and in the case of the dress Meghan herself, and not by taxpayers. What did come out of taxpayer’s wallets was for security which cost roughly 40 million. That means that the royal family’s contribution to the wedding was a mere token in comparison to what the total cost of the event was. One may argue that this is merely a one-time event, these things do not happen every year but looking at other expenses the bigger picture begins to unfold. According to Buckingham Palace, it cost 58 million to have a queen, yet researchers estimate it costs 468 million. Imagine how many people could be helped with 58 million dollars let alone with 468 million.

In all of recent history, the royal family has been the never-ending subject of celebrity gossip magazines. You know the type, they sit near the cash register at your local grocery store. Almost every issue features at least one article about one member complete with blurry photographs of their recent excursion outside the royal castle. This all begs the question; Is this family just a pop culture obsession? (Looking at you Kardashians.) Everyone in England agrees, the royal family has no real law-making authority, their just ceremonial. So, is there really any justification for this massive expenditure? Are taxpayers really sending millions of dollars on one family? Think of all the families that could be given food and healthcare instead of a multi-million-dollar wedding. Is this what England’s millennia-long dynasty has become?