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Buckingham Palace has been falling apart for years. It might be one of London’s most iconic buildings, but that doesn’t mean it’s been granted the five-star treatment.
In 2016 officials warned that there was a risk of a potential “catastrophic building failure” if repairs were not carried out immediately, which seemed to get everyone’s attention. In response, it was announced that the Palace would undergo an extensive 10-year refurbishment, the biggest undertaken since World War II.
Plans included replacing the Palace’s ancient boilers, along with 20 miles of lead and cast iron pipework and a hundred miles of electrical cable, some of which dates back 60 years. Also to be reviewed, the Palace’s essential services, including its fire systems, which have not been modernised since the early 1950s.
The question is: how has it been allowed to fall into such a state of disrepair?
For more than two decades the Monarchy has not received sufficient funding to cover maintenance. The oldest part of Buckingham Palace dates back to 1703, and the newest, the familiar frontage, to 1847. The electrics haven’t been overhauled since 1949, and the state rooms were last decorated in 1952.
Given we live in an era in which mobile phones have a shelf life of 18 months, these upgrades would seem long overdue.
While it’s the official residence of the British Monarch, Buckingham Palace is essentially a glorified office block with a few private rooms set aside for accommodation. Each year it plays host to over 90,000 guests by way of State Visits, Investitures, receptions and garden parties, leading to further wear and tear.
With plans in place, officials announced that the rather eye-watering sum of £369m of taxpayer funds was needed to cover the cost of the refurb, which only sent the press into overdrive. Headlines screamed, ‘The Queen lives there; she should pay for it!’ But it’s a baseless argument.
Yes, she holds the highest position in the land, and that position requires her to live in the official residence of the British monarch, but it is not her personal property. It is held in trust for the nation by the Crown in the same way as the Crown Jewels, the Royal Mews, Windsor Castle and other royal palaces.
WATCH: An entire wing of Buckingham Palace is emptied as part of the much-needed revamp. (Post continues.)
She can’t put it on the market, trade it in for a timeshare in Benidorm, or rent out the Belgian Suite on Airbnb. It’s the same set-up for the 157-year-old Palace of Westminster, which is currently undergoing a forty-year £7bn restoration. Are MPs and peers being asked to foot that bill? No.
In the wake of the 1992 fire at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace was opened to the public for several weeks each summer to pay for the Castle’s restoration. It was such a successful venture that it has since been suggested the necessary repairs to Buckingham Palace be covered in the same manner.
A nice idea, but not quite so simple.
Today, all revenues generated from Palace entry fees and souvenir sales go towards maintaining the Royal Collection, one of the largest and most significant art collections in the world. It, too, is held in trust by the Queen for her successors and the nation and is not owned by her as a private individual.
The Collection is comprised of more than a million fine and decorative art objects and it receives no government grants, sponsorship, donations or legacies. It’s completely self-funded, and is emblematic of how the modern monarchy has consistently sought ways to fund its own upkeep.
Work on the 775-room Palace began last year.
Following the successful State Visit by the King and Queen of the Netherlands this week, the revamp is set to enter its next phase. But in order to continue, over 3000 priceless works of art, trinkets, chandeliers, and items of furniture will need to be removed from the East Wing.
Of them, 150 will return on loan to Brighton’s Royal Pavilion next summer, so that visitors can view them in their original home. The Queen can rest easy, however. The renovation of her private apartments is not scheduled to start until 2025, at which time she’ll be 99.
The United Kingdom is considered a country of living history. Each year, tourists flock by the millions to visit royal sights and to witness world clbad pageantry.
As home to the head of state, Buckingham Palace is an integral part of Britain’s national heritage and it’s imperative that it be maintained for generations to come.
Unfortunately, preservation comes at a cost, but the end result will be a Palace fit for the 21st Century and possibly even the 22nd when King George VII will likely be the reigning occupant.
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