You may count the overall cost of a royal visit as money wasted, but consider this. A royal banquet equals food bought from local providers, prepared and served by locals who get their wages for that, a few others like local florists or providers of tableware may be used, and a few extra policemen on duty who get their wages anyway.
Some bean counter will come up with some wonderful overall figure and toss that out at us as though that money was pulled out of the economy and then lost. It is money circulating through the economy. And if a couple of buildings are painted and roads repaired, again it is money circulating through business and wages and a nicer environment for all of us.
Let us keep the royals, and, best of all, keep them in England, and let us enjoy their small jaunts to our land. So much cheaper for us. And if we do not particularly like them, just think of how much money we save by having them.
SYLVIA BRYAN
Motutangi