Paying to go to parties

[Beef Oven!]

I'd rather people were taxed on inheritance than earned income.

That's why it's a good idea to pay to attend the party, we don't have to go to the poor old tax payer for it. We can use that money instead to help people who are fleeing war-torn countries. A very sensible approach, all round. Trust our Queen to come up with such a modern approach.

quite how other countries survive without a monarchy seems to be a mystery.

Some of them do ok, but to be a top ten country in the democracy stakes, it's best to be a constitutional monarchy - they do best, punching way above their weight. We in this forum, as well as the other British subjects, do rather well out of this.

[MrGongGong]

That's why it's a good idea to pay to attend the party, we don't have to go to the poor old tax payer for it. We can use that money instead to help people who are fleeing war-torn countries. A very sensible approach, all round. Trust our Queen to come up with such a modern approach.

Some of them do ok, but to be a top ten country in the democracy stakes, it's best to be a constitutional monarchy - they do best, punching way above their weight. We in this forum, as well as the other British subjects, do rather well out of this.

I'm feeling a little bit queasy

That said, we seem to have come quite a way from the topic of paying to go to parties.

One of the richest women in the world throws a party and charges £150 to get in?

[ahinton]

I'd rather people were taxed on inheritance than earned income.

But those whose estates incur liability to IHT will have paid income tax while they were alive; this is why I object to IHT, because it effectively taxes the same funds twice.

[ardcarp]

My OP (about HM's Birthday Bash) was prompted less by republican thoughts than about the principle of paying to go to parties to which you've been invited.
Since the monarchy in general is now being discussed, may I throw in a completely irrelevant fact? The law was changed recently to extend primogeniture to female members of the Royal Family. I was amused to find out that this does not extend to lower orders of the aristocracy. So if Lord Bogworthy dies, Lady Bogworthy is out of the Castle and into the Dower House before you can say 'bloodless revolution'. I was going to say 'knife', but thought better of it.

[ahinton]

That's why it's a good idea to pay to attend the party, we don't have to go to the poor old tax payer for it. We can use that money instead to help people who are fleeing war-torn countries. A very sensible approach, all round. Trust our Queen to come up with such a modern approach.

But not only have I not been invited to the party, I would not wish to attend if I had (and, in so saying, I am not objecting to the party itself or indeed to the person in whose honour it is to be held).

We in this forum, as well as the other British subjects

As I wrote before, I am not a "subject"; my passport shows "British Citizen". "British Subject" is a different official term usually for certain people born outside UK.

[ahinton]

One of the richest women in the world throws a party and charges £150 to get in?

But can you be certain that is it the Queen herself who is charging this entrance fee? Also, given that she is subject to VAT, is that £150 VATable? (in which case VAT registered invitees might well be able to reclaim the VAT part of the ticket price).

[Beef Oven!]

I'm feeling a little bit queasy

As one of the Queen's subjects, you are fortunate and perhaps it has spoilt you a little. 'Feeling queasy', as you say, about helping people who are less fortunate and are fleeing war-torn countries, is shameful. I'm also surprised that you feel this way.

One of the richest women in the world throws a party and charges £150 to get in?

Women? You break the world into 'men' and 'women'? I think you need to come down to London for a while and benefit from our more modern culture.

[Beef Oven!]

But not only have I not been invited to the party, I would not wish to attend if I had (and, in so saying, I am not objecting to the party itself or indeed to the person in whose honour it is to be held).

Then if you had any class about you, you'd send a polite reply saying you can't make it, and make a small donation towards this important event.

[ahinton]

Then if you had any class about you, you'd send a polite reply saying you can't make it, and make a small donation towards this important event.

I don't have any class about me but I wouldn't just ignore the invitation and shove it in the bin without responding (perhaps I should have made that clear earlier).

[Flosshilde]

But that would only please a small minority of her subjects. Most people adore Queenie.

Maybe, but that's adoration of the person, not the institution. Most people think Charles is a buffoon & shouldn't be king.

[Flosshilde]

Who's providing the music and how much will they be paid for doing so, though?

No doubt they'll be expected to do it for free & told that 'the exposure will be good for them'.

[Mary Chambers]

It would be embarrassing if nobody turned up......

As far as I know the guests at Royal garden parties don't pay, so I wonder what the difference is here. I may have missed something. I don't have strong feelings about it, though - I presume attendance is not compulsory.

[Barbirollians]

Talk about off topic - going back to the original post . It is a complete no no for that sort of do . I can understand entirely , if say , going to a do like that involves you having to get overnight accommodation that one might be expected to pay for that - for food and drink NO

[teamsaint]

Beam me up !!
you seem to be having one of those days on which the concept of "principles" equates to being no worse than anybody else.

have you ever considered a career in sales, at all?

[Richard Tarleton]

Re the Royal picnic, interesting item in "Court Circular" on page 15 of new Private Eye. With the thing fully sponsored, some in the know are apparently wondering why £1.5 million in ticket revenues is needed.