Cost of royal visit: Burning money

Prince Charles has many critics in Britain, where his ostentatious profligacy has been a topic of noteworthy concern; he’s known especially for using the family’s private train for a 772km journey at a cost of €21,000.

It’s highly unlikely, then, that Windsor’s big spender would be distressed to learn that almost €6,000 was spent on polishing door handles at Cork City Hall in preparation of his one-day visit in June.

It’s fair to point out that a part of the €203,700 bill for City Hall maintenance work in advance of the prince’s visit could be attributed to long-overdue refurbishments

Every householder knows that delaying the cleaning of escutcheons and finger plates comes with a cost… a stitch in time saves nine, and all that.

That €6,000 door-polishing tab might be very small beer to accountants in public and private enterprises accustomed to signing off spending in the millions and billions, but it’s not the way people delivering frontline public services such as housing, health, education, and policing see it.

Sprucing up City Hall was necessary, but was it really thought that the prince would spend the entire day doing something he’s come to expect others to do for him – opening doors?