Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly spent $18,000 (£15,000) to plant a 950-foot hedge in the backyard of Kensington Palace to protect their privacy. Graham Smith, who heads the political action group "Republic," slammed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for spending such an outrageous amount of money because of their "deep-seated sense of entitlement" as royals.
Smith said that Prince William and Kate, as well as the rest of the members of the royal family, routinely spend "tens of thousands" of public money to feed their lifestyles. The political activist said the cost of the hedge was equivalent to some workers' annual wages and he believes that the use of public funds must no longer be extended to the royals.
According to Daily Mail, Prince William and Kate's expensive hedge was planted in early 2019 and has now grown above head height to give the royals their privacy. The hedge apparently cut the view of the field in the backyard, which used to be visible to tourists.
That field is often used by the royals to land their helicopters. The Queen was often photographed using this field. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were also seen leaving and arriving at the landing site.
The Republic has been asking for the abolishment of the monarchy in its campaign. They are for replacing the Queen with an elected head of state because they believe that holding public office should be a hereditary claim.
Smith also said that the monarchy is a "broken" institution. They want a head of state chosen by the people who can keep politicians in check and who are held publicly accountable.
The political advocate also criticized Meghan's recent statement in court, where she said that her wedding to Prince Harry earned nearly the UK nearly billion in tourism revenues. Smith said that Meghan is just like the rest of the royal household who believe in the spin that the royals bring money for tourism.
Smith also said that there is no such evidence to prove the royal wedding earned money. Instead, he said that it's actually a net loss for the people of Britain, who had to shoulder part of the wedding's cost.
Meanwhile, Prince William and Kate also reportedly spent almost $21,000 (£18,000) on a pair of high-end lamps for their Kensington Palace home. The lamps are made of marble and were specially created by Vaughn Designs. The Republic has yet to react to this purchase.
