Queen Costs UK Taxpayers Nearly 2,000% More Than Previously Thought

Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom’s monarch who turned 90 on Thursday, costs the British taxpayers 1,900 percent more than previously estimated, an analysis by the British press revealed.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The widely floated figure of the British monarchy’s upkeep is 56 pennies per taxpayer a year, based on its 2013 public purse amounting to 35.7 million pounds ($51.4 million at the current exchange rate).

Accounting for government data indicating there are 29.7 million taxpayers out of the 64.1 million UK population, the monarchy’s 40-million-pound annual budget breaks down to 1.26 pounds paid by taxpayers each year, The Independent daily revealed.

Taking into account the "hidden" costs, including 100 million pounds in royal security paid by the Metropolitan Police, the taxpayer bill rises to 334 million pounds, the newspaper cites the Republic pressure group’s data.

The total costs thus climb to 5.21 pounds per person, and a further 11.24 pounds per taxpayer. The percent change from 0.56 to 11.24 pounds amounts to 1,907 percent.

The Brand Finance strategy consultancy estimates the British monarchy's total tangible assets at 20 billion pounds, and its total value at 56.7 billion pounds.