ROYALS AVOID PAYING TAX ON NECKLACE

The Royals have come in for some bad press this week after Camilla (Duchess of Cornwall) claimed that a £1million diamond and ruby necklace she wore on a US trip was a “gift to the nation,” to avoid paying tax on it. Yet hours earlier Prince Charles’ office had announced that the gift was a “private present” and then changed their tune and declared the necklace a “gift to the nation” 24 hours later. The Royals are expected to pay tax on private gifts but not official ones which pass into the Royal Collection. Camilla has tried so hard to gain acceptance and popularity with the British public in the past, but this is bound to leave a sour taste in the mouths of many. It is up to the Royal family to set an example to the rest of us and pay any taxes owed. Think of the schools and hospitals deprived of what would have been a considerable amount of tax money. Shame on you Charles and Camilla.