privy purse

noun

, British.

privy purse

1. (in Britain) an allowance voted by Parliament for the private expenses of the monarch: part of the civil list
2. (in other countries) a similar sum of money for the monarch
an official of the royal household responsible for dealing with the monarch's private expenses Full nameKeeper of the Privy Purse

First recorded in 1655–65

The "imperial" taxes were for the emperor's privy purse, the fiscus.

The king was at Greenwich, but even there was not beyond the infection; in the Privy Purse book, there is an entry of 18.

For more than a year I managed, unsuspected, to keep the Privy Purse fairly supplied by the exercise of my caricaturing abilities.

His Majesty then drew from his privy purse the necessary funds, and handed them to these gentlemen.

Our tribute is a million (francs), but we pay five millions, of which four go into the Sultans privy purse.

April 18, 2024petrichor

[pet-ri-kawr]

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Browse