Royals cost Cayman Islands $335K
(CNS): The much heralded visit by Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, cost the public purse CI$335,152 for the less than 30 hours the royal couple spent in the Cayman Islands. While the whirlwind tour was welcomed by government and royal watchers and credited with helping to promote Cayman, it was a costly endeavour. The police racked up well over half the bill, spending more than $192,000 on overtime and other expenses, including the police band, not all of which have yet been calculated.
The publicity resulting from images of Prince Charles with a blue iguana at the Botanic Park, which were picked up by media the world over, may well have justified the spending on a visit that many people considered was a great success. However, others have raised concerns about the level of spending on the visit, given the competing demands on the public purse for more pressing issues, from education to social services.
The figures, which were revealed in a freedom of information request made by the Cayman Compass, showed that the Cabinet and the governor’s office spent well over $140,000 on entertainment, food and drink as well as other expenses, such as flowers and a private phone line for the royals.
Expenses paid by the Cayman Islands was only part of the bill the royal couple ran up. The British taxpayers spent more than £416,000 on the royal couple’s two-week Caribbean trip.
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Category: Local News
$335k to pet an iguana. Kiss mi neck brethren.
Maybe its time to do away with royals and adapt the President way, like U S A , at least to become President one has to work on it, Not just be born in it to be a royal.
So how much did local shops, stores and street vendors take from the crowds that came out to greet the Royal couple? How many tourists left Cayman with positive memories of seeing the Royals and Caymans pomp and pageantry vowing to return? And how do you equate a self serving MLA’s salary of $100k+ per year against this genuinely positive return for such a relatively small investment.
I’d choose paying this fee anytime over the disgusting salaries paid to MLA’s and their cohorts.
THIS!!!!!!
So how much Cayman got back in Return. O
We should just be thankful it wasn’t Prince Andrew. The “entertainment” bill would have been much higher.
it disgusting imagine all those Five star trips around the world the elected MLA’S now cant take !!!
lets not forget the public holiday that all businesses had to pay staff for
Makes up for the low pay.
What a waste
Incredible! Could you explain to me how this helps put food on our tables ???
I don’t see it.
It would have made more sense if Government had divided the $335,000.00 by 5, and placed $67,000.00 in cash in $100.00 bills in 5 buckets and dumped them from the helicopter over the 5 districts in Grand Cayman. We would have gotten much more value for money.
Then you obviously need an education to understand the nett benefit of this visit and the extra income generated for local businesses.
Apparently $25160 was spent on food and drink. Considering the royals were here for only 1 day they must have very healthy appetites, or there must have been a lot of civil servants gorging in their company.
We should them for a refund and secondly it would be cheaper to clothe them than to feed them?
They landed on 27th and flew out on 29th. Hardly a day.
They were here for 30 hours according to the official press release.
Euro Trash
Great value for money and much to Cayman’s benefit.
And how much was the cost of Police coverage for Batabano and Caymas each year? At least the royal visit promoted the country in a positive way .
You down wid FOI?
I wonder if they tried our delicious iguana menu?
Or turtle 🐢
Exactly! At least this was an event in which we weren’t ashamed to take our children.
I may be old-fashioned, but I believe the royals are important, and linked to Caymanian culture.
What have they ever done for me? Nothing. Is that the entire measure of what is good for the people? Dollars in our pockets? People all around the world read of them coming here, and the iconic photo of Prince Charles with the blue iguana may bring attention to the blue ig plight. It would be great if someone in the royal family were to donate to the BIRP or National Trust, but I don’t expect it.