When Princess Eugenie marries Jack Brooksbank in October, the public will be footing the estimated £2 million security bill for the ninth-in-line to the throne.
The couple has chosen to wed at St George’s Chapel, the same place the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were married at earlier this year.
While Eugenie is not a working royal and the bill for the wedding is being paid by her father, Prince Andrew, they have included 1,200 members of the public to watch within the castle walls and a carriage ride around Windsor. All of which include the need for security.
So why is the public paying the security bill for a private wedding?
Other members of the Royal Family further down the line of succession have wed in smaller ceremonies, but with Prince Andrew and Fergie, Duchess of York reportedly pushing for a wedding with all the glitz, they should pay for what they want.
Prince Harry and Meghan will be full-time working royals for the rest of their lives and therefore justified the importance of including the public during their wedding. The value of the day (both public spirit and tourism dollars) paid off. But, Prince Charles recently stood his ground when his brother wanted working titles for his two daughters. He is planning for a smaller, tight-knit Royal Family when he is king to help ensure the future of the monarchy.
The wedding will likely only draw the attention of royal watchers, not internationally, so a £2 million bill will not see its return on investment. There won’t be the profit from tourism coming in.
There will always be the security for the members of the Royal Family that naturally follows them around wherever they go, but the extra security needed for the carriage procession, etc, are not the problems of the public.
The monarchy must adapt to stay current, a plan that Prince Charles has been working towards. More and more of the public would rather see their tax dollars spent elsewhere and don’t see the value in the monarchy (another debate to have another time). If instances like Eugenie’s security bill keep happening, how does the Royal Family think they will stay popular?
People work hard for their money and need to see the value of their tax dollars. I think it is safe to assume the wedding of the ninth-in-line to the throne, who is really not much more than a socialite with a ‘princess’ title, is not up there.
