A Royal Trust?
What surely is required is a decision as to which of the royal possessions are more pro- perly regarded as public property : and the maintenance of these, subject to public ac- cess, should be the public's financial responsibility. A Royal Trust, somewhat similar to the National Trust, could well be established. The private property of the Sovereign should, thereafter, be treated in the same manner as anyone else's. This tidied up, it ought to be relatively simple to decide what is the nature and scope of the Sovereign's public duties, and to pay for these out of taxation, as any other expenses of state are paid. The Civil List was an ar- rangement designed for the Hanoverians. It has outlived its usefulness and has, in- cidentally, long since ceased to be a bargain (if ever it was one).
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