I am not one to closely follow celebrity gossip, but I do know that the royal wedding is high up on the news feed.  While a recent poll indicated a somewhat lackluster interest in the wedding by the British people, it will still be watched by many millions of people.

I have wondered for a long time about why the British people put up with subsidizing the royal family.  The royal family is largely symbolic, as the Queen isn’t enacting or enforcing legislation.  The British taxpayers fork over multiple millions of dollars every year to fund the lavish lifestyle of the royal family.  Some estimates put the cost of running the monarchy at well over $300 million per year.

It doesn’t make much sense why someone struggling to pay rent and put food on the table continues to consent (even if tacitly) to funding the royal family.  I know that some will argue that the royal family actually brings in significant tax revenue to the government to help offset their cost.  This tax revenue comes from visitors and tourists.  But if that is the case, why can’t the royal family be funded through charity and business?  The family could set up their own for-profit museums, tours, meet and greets, etc.

While a majority of those surveyed say that the royal family should be responsible for the full cost of the wedding, public opinion obviously isn’t strong enough to actually stop it from happening.

When Chevy Chase’s character in European Vacation is asked what the Queen does, he responded that “She queens, and vacuums.”

But what really does the Queen do?  She makes public appearances and acts as something of a diplomat.  The problem is that the number one thing she does is suck up taxpayer money.  I guess that is part of the vacuuming.

Now we have this royal wedding with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.  It is estimated to cost $2.7 million for the actual wedding, but the security costs could run around $40 million.  That will largely be borne by the British taxpayer.

It is bad enough that the British people are forced to pay for this lavish lifestyle of the royal family.  Now they have to fork over millions more to an American.

The American colonists seceded from the British Crown when taxes in the colonies were around 1%.  Now Americans fork over about 25% (based on spending) to their own national government, and at least another 15% to state and local governments.  The British people are even worse off for the most part, but now they are forced to subsidize an American woman, probably for the rest of her life.

From the little I’ve seen of her, Meghan Markle seems to enjoy the spotlight.  I hope the British people enjoy funding her new celebrity role.  If this isn’t the straw that breaks the camel’s back, then I don’t think there are any straws big enough to do it.  Maybe the middle class there just doesn’t feel enough pain yet.  Then again, there are many third-world countries where the large majority of the population lives in dire poverty while the rulers live it up.  But even in those cases, the rulers have to be careful not to show off their wealth too much.

This wedding is a royal ripoff for British taxpayers.  Sure, there are many other government programs that are far more costly and far more damaging.  But those costs are often well hidden.  In this case, the wedding is being broadcast wide and far for all to celebrate.  The British people can celebrate at home eating ramen noodles.