The British monarchy appears to be thriving, but that doesn’t mean everyone in the UK approves of the royal family – especially those who are particularly concerned about where their taxes are going. When King Charles appeared at an engagement on Tuesday, he was confronted with questions about how the royals fund their lifestyle, and let’s just say he didn’t exactly have the response people were looking for.
As People reported, the awkward situation unfolded when Charles and Queen Camilla visited Newmarket and were confronted with more than one member of the public demanding more information about the royals’ finances.
In a video that was captured and shared on X by news outlet The National, a member of the crowd can be heard calling out, “Why does your family cost us half a billion pounds a year, Charles?”
Pausing for a moment, Charles simply replies, “Ah, yes,” and moves on to greet another section of the people who have gathered to see him.
Watch as King Charles is confronted by members of the public while at an event in Newmarket over the cost of the royal family on UK taxpayers 👇 pic.twitter.com/7pVibUT276
— The National (@ScotNational) July 22, 2025
The hecklers weren’t done, though. Even as Charles was walking away, someone called, “Why do you only pay your gardeners minimum wage?”
This person was referencing a controversy that began last week, when 11 out of 12 members of the garden staff at his Highgrove estate quit, citing low pay and poor working conditions.
“At The King’s Foundation, we strive to be an exemplary employer and are proud to regularly report very high satisfaction rates in our annual staff survey,” read a statement from Charles’ office at the time. “Our staff turnover is well below the national average, as is the number of formal grievances raised.”
Later in the video, Charles can be seen listening to a woman who asks, “Do you think it’s fair we pay £27 million a year from the Duchy of Lancaster?” And yet again, he didn’t appear to respond.
People aren’t impressed with Charles’ response (or lack thereof), according to the replies to The National‘s post. One person wrote, “Doesn’t care a jot … They’re laughing at us … And we let them!”
It’s not too surprising that Charles decided not to engage with the people who attempted to confront him – after all, the royal family’s motto has always been “Never complain, never explain.” Even in a time like this, it sounds like he’s hanging onto that strategy.
