King Charles was hit with tense questions about the British royal family’s cost to taxpayers at his latest royal engagement.

On July 22, the King, 76, had a diplomatic response when two members of the public asked him about the hot topic. The moments unfolded during the King’s visit to Newmarket with Queen Camilla.

“Why does your family cost us half a billion pounds a year, Charles?” a heckler called out from the crowd during the King and Queen’s walkabout to meet people, as seen in a video that The National shared to X.

The monarch seemingly paused for a beat, and offered a two-word response.

“Ah, yes,” the King said, and kept moving down the line.

In September 2024, anti-monarchy group Republic published a report claiming that royal family cost taxpayers an estimated $688 million per year. The report alleged that this includes “hundreds of millions of pounds not accounted for by the Sovereign Grant,” which is the money the monarch receives from the government for official duties.

The heckler kept at it while King Charles was walking away, and asked another question.

“Why do you only pay your gardeners minimum wage?” the person called out.

The question referenced a recent report in The Sunday Times alleging that 11 out of 12 gardeners employed at Highgrove House, the King’s country home, have left since 2022 due to low wages and high demands. (PEOPLE understands that one grievance was reported in 2024 to 2025 out of nearly 500 staff.)

As seen in the video shared by The National, King Charles didn’t react to the question about the gardeners.

The video then rolled to show another cut of the King during the walkabout, where the same person said, “You are my King.”

According to the snippet, a woman said, “Do you think it’s fair we pay £27 million a year from the Duchy of Lancaster?”

The Duchy of Lancaster is a private estate comprised of 44,748 acres of land in England and Wales and owned by King Charles as sovereign. Just like the Duchy of Cornwall that generates revenue for Prince William, both duchies were established hundreds of years ago to provide income for the sovereign and the heir to the throne.

While the King stopped for a second to listen to the woman’s question, a reply wasn’t audible, if he offered one.

King Charles continued walking with Queen Camilla by his side, and the first heckler again called out to him from the crowd.

“God bless, Your Majesty,” the man said.

The British royals don’t usually engage with disruptors during official engagements, and King Charles carried on. He and the Queen, who turned 78 last week, embarked on the walkabout after visiting The National Stud horse farm, meeting with community groups at King Edward VII Memorial Hall and spending time with staff and members of The Jockey Club, which they back as joint members.

King Charles’ late mother, Queen Elizabeth, was a lifelong equestrian and horse racing enthusiast, and he and Queen Camilla saw a painting of her by Paul Benney at the Jockey Club.

Following her death in September 2022, King Charles and Queen Camilla succeeded Queen Elizabeth as patrons of the organization, which is the largest employer in British horse racing.