Letter: Royal yacht costs less than Clinton

Sir: Our American correspondent Elizabeth Clarke (letter, 25 January) is dumbfounded that pounds 60m should be spent on a royal yacht. Well, there are some of us here who are pretty surprised that her countrymen spent about pounds 500m on last year's presidential campaign.

Some years ago it was reported that it cost more to keep the presidential jet, Air Force One, in service for a year, than the cost of the entire British monarchy for the same period. There must be causes in the United States on which this money could be better spent.

DONALD FOREMAN

Secretary, The Constitutional Monarchy Association

London, E4