Cash for UK royals is money well spent

Sir, – Alister Rankine is concerned that the millions our royal family cost us annually is wasted (letters, August 2).

However that money is dwarfed by the annual cost of billions for our obviously futile, token “greenery” Climate Change Acts, in the forlorn hope of influencing nations worldwide to curb greenhouse gas, notably CO2 output by decarbonising.

Likewise, the many millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money wasted on near-useless renewables dependent on “sunshine and breezes”, mainly wind.

These produce – very disappointingly and intermittently – a tiny proportion of our electricity generation, often well under 5%, whatever the wind turbine promoters may claim.

In real life, foreign manufacturers and workers and our rich landowners are the major beneficiaries from wind-powered renewables, while our environment and flying wildlife suffer.

The cost of foreign aid, as a fixed proportion of our national earnings, irrespective of need, also makes expenditure on the royals small beer.

Meanwhile, our annual subscriptions to the EU, in billions, plus Mrs May’s offer of a

£39 billion “divorce settlement” are far from modest.

The royal family represents, I believe, good value for money, especially in helping tourism and cheering up non-republicans in ways unavailable with a non-executive, worthy but probably dull, Head of State.

Charles Wardrop. 111 Viewlands Rd West, Perth.

A correspondent believes millions of pounds are wasted on renewables.