Letter: King for a day

Sir: When most public services are subject to competitive tendering, and all properties are expected to turn a profit, why not ask for bids for a five-year contract to be king or queen?

There are the lucrative sponsorship possibilities of Royal Warrants, palaces to be let out and used for corporate entertaining, and the obvious international prestige. The House of Windsor, Rupert Murdoch and others of the fabulously rich might be prepared to pay large amounts to be king for five years. Instead of paying them to do the job, or, as proposed now, allowing them to have free use of the estate ("The Firm contemplates the ultimate privatisation", 20 August), let them pay us for the privilege.

JOSEPH HANLON

London WC1