Historic Royal Palaces Need Help
June 17 2020
Picture: @HRP_Palaces
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), the independent charity who look after six historic properties on behalf of the Crown, have made a rather unprecedented public appeal for help.
Their recent posts on Twitter explain that the lockdown has left them with a £95m shortfall. They are encouraging public support in the form of buying membership and making purchases from their online shop. Several of the grounds and gardens of their properties will soon be reopened for members of the public to enjoy once more.
There have been some interesting questions raised online as to who exactly should dip into their pockets to help bail them out. To give a bit of background, the HRP was established by the British government in 1989 in order to care for five royal palaces. As an independent charity (as of 1998) it receives no state money with all funds being raised by visitors. The charity have a statutory obligation to care for the properties, which are in fact still owned by the Queen 'in Right of Crown'.
The model has worked very well up until now and been entirely self-sufficient. Yet, it seems possible that the current lockdown crisis is the first true test the organisation has had to undergo.
Hampton Court, for example, is very clearly run as an entirely independent venture. Although, all of the properties rely on vast loans of objects and artworks from the Royal Collection Trust. The charity's independence this is not so straight forward with all properties such as the Tower of London, which has a Governor and Chaplain* directly appointed by the Queen.
* - Hampton Court also has a Chaplain appointed by the monarch.
