英国女王日前向刚刚组建的联合政府提出加薪要求，以填补王室高达600万英镑的财政赤字。据悉，这是女王二十年来首次提出加薪。

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The Queen is demanding her first pay rise in 20 years to plug a looming £6million deficit in the royal household's finances.

The Queen is demanding her first pay rise in 20 years to plug a looming（正在逼近的） £6million deficit in the royal household's finances.

Palace officials have warned the Treasury³ they need a dramatic rise in the £7.9million annual civil list to maintain（维修，供养） spending on state duties.

The request is politically explosive at a time when the new coalition⁴ is imposing⁵ draconian⁶（严厉的，苛刻的） £6billion public sector⁷ cuts to bring down Britain's record deficit.

The £7.9million grant（拨款，授予物） covers the cost of the official royal household, from banquets（宴会） and furnishings to housemaids and footmen.

The Queen's treasurer⁸ Sir Alan Reid has told Government officials that the monarch's expenditure⁹（支出，花费） is running at £6million more than the annual allowance. The shortfall is being met by an emergency reserve which is due to run out in 2012 - the Queen's Diamond Jubilee¹⁰ year.

The civil list is negotiated every ten years and the Government has to report to Parliament on the grant by July 3 at the latest.

Courtiers say the Queen should, at least, expect an increase to her annual funding which takes account of inflation over the past two decades. Prices have soared by 80 per cent in that time.

The current level of the civil list was agreed by former prime minister John Major when he was chancellor¹¹ of the exchequer¹² in 1990, and frozen by Tony Blair in 2000.

Palace officials have since been dipping into a surplus（过剩，盈余） accumulated in the 1990s, which peaked with a cash reserve of £35million. However, this is down to £14million and due to run out in 2012. One royal courtier said: 'The Queen has only been able to manage by very prudent¹³（谨慎的，节俭的） financial management and by drawing on reserves.'

The monarchy¹⁴ costs more than £41.5million a year in public funds, equivalent to 69p a year for each taxpayer¹⁵ - excluding the cost of security. About 70 percent of the £7.9million civil list expenditure goes on staff salaries. It also pays for official functions such as garden parties, receptions and entertainment.

Graham Smith, of Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state, said the request was a 'national disgrace'. He said: 'The palace is demanding more money because it has been wasteful¹⁶, secretive and incompetent¹⁷（无能力的，不合适的） .'

But Tory MP Edward Leigh, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee which monitors the royal finances, said: 'The Queen needs substantially more money to carry out her duties and responsibilities. The Queen and the Royal Family do a fantastic job considering their very small resources.'