[ad_1]
Princess Eugenie, 28, and her fiancé Jack Brooksbank, 32, announced their plans to tie the knot in January.
The lavish wedding is set to cost the British taxpayer an eye-watering £2.7million, according to Royal expert Hamish Shephard.
Mr Shephard said security will cost £2million, floristry £100,000, music £25,000 and the dress £200,000.
But Dani Beckett, vice chair of Republic, explained why she believes British taxpayers should not pay for security at Princess Eugenie’s wedding.
She told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “Because it is coming from taxpayers’ money and we know we already pay over £100million per year for the whole of the Royal Family.”
TV host Piers Morgan fired back at the claim and said: “How much do we spend on the women’s march to keep that secure?”
Ms Beckett said she was not speaking on behalf of the women’s marches but the TV host fired back again: “Do you know how much goes on the anti-Trump marches? How much security at the taxpayers’ expense?
“In order words, we pay for security, the taxpayers’, every day of the year, right? We pay for anti-Trump marches.
“We pay to make secure Ukip marches or groups we don’t like. Why pick on Princess Eugenie given that the Royal Family generate nearly two billion pounds worth of revenue every year, including directly £550million for the taxpayers actually from tourism.”
In response, the campaigner said: “So, first of all, I think it is important that we distinguish between public marches where people exercise a democratic right, which is completely different to a Royal Wedding, which apart from a handful of people, is nowhere near to democracy at all.
“If you look at the reported figures around tourism, those are completely unevidenced.”
The GMB host blasted: “No. Totally untrue. No. Hang on. I won’t let you get away with that. Everyone that turns out to see that wedding will be exercising their democratic right to attend and watch a wedding.”
Ms Beckett replied: “I mean, they paid for it so I imagine that some people will want to.”
But Piers pointed out that the security is in place to secure the route, which is set to be filled with people who are there “exercising their democratic right to watch a wedding”.
He added: “You may not like it but I don’t like half the marches that go on. But I absolutely support the fact that we, as taxpayers, should pay security when they happen.”
Ms Beckett hit back and said: “I think the difference between you and me is that I don’t see the Royal Family as anything to do with this country’s democracy. For anyone else’s wedding, if it was a celebrity getting married, yes I’d have a flick through the magazines and look at the wedding photos.
“Everyone likes to see a nice day but I shouldn’t have to pay for it.”
The couple, who started dating in 2010, will be wed at St George’s chapel – the same venue as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
[ad_2]
