The debate on Dan Wootton’s show became increasingly heated as they discussed King Charles’s plans for a slimmed down monarchy and whether the royals were worth paying £1.29 annually for.
Camilla’s pal and royal insider Ms Wyatt said: “Let’s look at it from a business point of view. Let’s say the monarchy was a company and you were thinking of buying shares in it.
“It’s £1.29 a person, annual – that’s a total annual cost of around £500 million but it’s been calculated by independent financial institutions and Forbes magazine that the monarchy actually gives back to the economy £2.5 billion a year.
“That’s a hell of a profit, the best deal ever! So, is it value for money? My goodness it is!”
However Ms Barnett hit back: “I think it’s not about £1.29.
“It’s about one family that’s worth £37 billion, that could be put back into the economy to help people.
“If we were living in a country that was egalitarian, where the NHS worked, the schools worked, the utilities worked, I’d say nothing but it’s a symbol of what we don’t need. What do they give back?”
Ms Wyatt defended the institution’s more modern approach, replying: “Charles is giving Balmoral back! He’ll be giving other palaces back. This is a really streamlined monarchy, they have said no slackers welcome here and that’s what they are doing.”
Ms Barnett suggested spoke in admiration of Prince William’s Homewards campaign to fight homelessness, adding that he could do it by “building social housing on their acres and acres of land” or using Buckingham Palace as accommodation.
She explained: “Yes. I think the homeless should be brought into that wonderful building and they should be given rooms and they should be given heat and warmth.”
Ms Wyatt replied: “I am sorry, but I wouldn’t put the homeless in Buckingham Palace because it’s not good enough for the homeless.
“The paint is peeling off the walls, there is mould, there is damp, the plumbing doesn’t work properly – believe me, because I know!”
