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British MP Rails On Duchess Of Cambridge For Being Out Of Touch

"That’s a food bill for a family of four. That’s absolutely outrageous."
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visits The Brandenburg Gate on day 3 of their Royal Tour of Poland and Germany on July 19, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. (Omer Messinger/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visits The Brandenburg Gate on day 3 of their Royal Tour of Poland and Germany on July 19, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. (Omer Messinger/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

This may come as a surprise to fans of the Royal Family, but not everyone cares about the Duchess of Cambridge's wardrobe.

And one person in particular thinks Kate Middleton's spending on the clothes she wears to official functions is irresponsible.

Kate Middleton. (Photo by Getty Images Poland/Karol Serewis)
Getty Images
Kate Middleton. (Photo by Getty Images Poland/Karol Serewis)

According to Celebrity Insider, a member of the British Parliament recently railed against the Royal Family, and in particular, the duchess, for bring out of touch with low-income families in Great Britain.

Emma Dent Coad, an MP for Kensington in London (which includes Kensington Palace, where William and Kate live), called the mom-of-two "disgusting" for spending £160 (about $265) on a dress.

"That's a food bill for a family of four. That's absolutely outrageous," said Coad at a Labour Party conference called Reigning in the Monarchy, according to Sky News.

Emma Dent Coad, MP for Kensington. (Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty Images)
Victoria Jones - PA Images via Getty Images
Emma Dent Coad, MP for Kensington. (Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty Images)

Coad also suggested that the duke and duchess's public funding should be scrapped.

"Their MP thinks the system is ridiculous," Coad told delegates. "We should not be funding them."

It's common knowledge that the Royal Family gets funds from British taxpayers.

According to The Telegraph, it costs about £300 million (almost $500 million Canadian) a year to support the Royal Family, and that funding comes from several sources, both public and private.

As Business Insider reports, the Queen gets a large sum of money called the Sovereign Grant, which comes from the British treasury and is funded by taxpayers.

Queen Elizabeth II. (Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)
Andrew Milligan - PA Images via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II. (Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)

The Queen gets this money in exchange for surrendering all profits from the Crown Estate — the Royal Family's property portfolio — to the government. And each year, she is given an amount of money equivalent to 15 per cent of the Crown Estate's profits from two years ago.

The Sovereign Grant pays for the family's travel, palace upkeep (such as the recent £370 million refurbishment of Buckingham Palace) and utilities, and royal employee payroll. However it doesn't cover the costs of security and royal ceremonies.

One of the biggest perks of being part of the Royal Family is that their homes are funded by the government, aside from the privately owned properties of the Queen.

Balmoral Castle and its estate in Scotland are privately owned by the Royal Family and not property of the Crown. (ANDREW MILLIGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
ANDREW MILLIGAN via Getty Images
Balmoral Castle and its estate in Scotland are privately owned by the Royal Family and not property of the Crown. (ANDREW MILLIGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Prince William and Kate Middleton, meanwhile, get reimbursed for expenses they incur while performing their official duties as representatives of the Royal Family, including a clothing budget.

In April, it was reported that the Duchess of Cambridge, who's expecting her third child in spring 2018, has spent more on her wardrobe this year than any previous years.

According to the Daily Mail and the blog What Would Kate Do, Catherine spent more than US$71,000 on her wardrobe in the first few months of 2017, including designs from Chanel, Erdem, Alexander McQueen and Catherine Walker.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on May 11, 2017 in Luxembourg. (Photo by Tim Rooke - Pool/Getty Images)
Pool via Getty Images
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on May 11, 2017 in Luxembourg. (Photo by Tim Rooke - Pool/Getty Images)

And although we don't have updated numbers on how much Kate has spent on her wardrobe in recent months, it's been estimated that her 2017 wardrobe spending would surpass last year's numbers, which was about US$214,000.

And sure, while it may seem "out of touch" to spend a few hundred pounds on clothes when there are people who can't afford to spend that much on their wardrobe, it's important to note that the "Kate Effect" has been profitable for U.K. fashion companies, as each time the duchess steps out in a new outfit it usually means that that piece of clothing will sell out.

And, as a representative of the Royal Family who attends many functions with visiting dignitaries, foreign royals, prime ministers and presidents, it's important the duchess dress the part.

After all, she isa princess.

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