Buckingham Palace 1: Ending Sep 2022


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Does anyone have a photo or at least a description of the Queen's private dining room where lunch is usually eaten during the 80s or 90s? I was also curious if anyone knew what kind of china or flatware was/is used during family lunches? Thanks so much!
-Annie
 
The news is all around twitter... many complanits about the cost, though it looks like the rebuilding cannot wait any longer...
 
It's about time and £369 million really isn't a lot of money given the repairs that need to be done.

The only other option is to have BP crumble to the ground.
 
The costs are gigantic but in my opnion the figures seem in line with current or recent restorations of other palaces.

The 17th C Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, much smaller than Buckingham Palace (picture) is now under restoration, costs: 60 million Euro. The main hall of that building (picture) has recently been restored for 8 million. The last restoration was 30 years ago.

A few years ago the 17th C Royal Palace in Amsterdam was restored (see the heavily scaffolded building: picture). Costs: 80 million Euro. The last restoration was 45 years ago.

Given the fact that Buckingham Palace is bigger ánd has long not had major maintenance since WWII, the costs seem logic to me.
 
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A 10 year project. That will be a long time.
 
The state providing £370 million to refurbish Buckingham Palace is outrageous..

A premier League Football team could buy at least two players with that money !!
 
wyevale said:
The state providing £370 million to refurbish Buckingham Palace is outrageous..

A premier League Football team could buy at least two players with that money !!
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Haha, that is a good one!

Rudolph said:
It's being done this way to allow the Queen and her family to continue living at BP while repairs are carried out.
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I have the idea it will be cheaper ánd quicker when the Queen leaves Buckingham Palace and replace her court to Windsor, St James, Clarence House, whatever, for the duration of the project.

When a building needs to be in continuous use ánd has to look "acceptable" during a restoration, it only pushes the costs upward!

Another argument: the Palais de l'Élysée in Paris, the Hofburg and Schönbrunn in Vienna, Schloss Bellevue in Berlin, the Palazzo Quirinale in Rome, etc. are all residences in republics. All these are maintenanced for gigantic amounts as well. Queen or no Queen. So the criticism on the cost of the monarchy in (social) media seem out of place.
 
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The people want the Queen in London though. I'ts the seat of government. Repairs will be carried out wing by wing. I think it's best this way.
 
Rudolph said:
It's being done this way to allow the Queen and her family to continue living at BP while repairs are carried out.
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I guess The Queen also want to be at Buckingham Palace during her remaining years. It would be extraordinary if she would be able to be there to see the finished product.
 
10 years of employment for skilled craftsmen & women, and an opportunity to return the State Apartments to the richly coloured appearance originally intended by the Architects and George IV, rather than the pallid 'watered down' version that previous redecoration has reduced them to.

My JOY at this news is unconfined !
 
Rudolph said:
It's being done this way to allow the Queen and her family to continue living at BP while repairs are carried out.
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The Queen and her family have places to live in.
But
Buckingham Palace is an office for the Head of State, as well as a home for The Queen. Today over 800 members of staff are based at Buckingham Palace. https://web.archive.org/web/2011110...y/factfiles/40factsaboutbuckinghampalace.aspx
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and
Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.
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IF the Court moved to Windsor for 'the duration'. so would all the staff who live/work there must move too Where would they be accommodated ?

If the Court moves to St James', these people would also need living/working accommodation in an a VERY EXPENSIVE area of London, about to become more so, since office space will very shortly be needed for those currently employed at the Houses of Parliament, whose [LONG OVERDUE] refurbishment is about to be definitively announced and the cost of which will make the BP estimates seem like 'Petty Cash'.

Really 'working round' the residents is the only practical option.
 
there seems to be alot of people complaining about this..but they seem to forget that most people visit england for those historic landmarks like Buckingham palace...and the restoration is probably long overdue...this is not just about the royals its about englands history..and i think alot of people need to get over the other stuff
 
Robert Jobson says it will be money well spent.

As I see it, while a huge sum of money, it is money well spent because it preserves the building for future generations; making it a palace fit for purpose for the next five decades.

For many years the Palace has been the number one attraction for foreign tourists, bringing in untold millions to the public purse.

For London and the capital's economy its very existence is a veritable money spinner.

Ensuring it is spick and span is important as a symbol of the British brand abroad.
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Read more: Would Donald Trump let the White House fall into the same state of disrepair as Buckingham Palace? | London Evening Standard
 
In the Netherlands the whole monumental complex of Parliament will be "evacuated" for the duration of the extensive restoration. The amount to be spent is higher than for Buckingham Palace.

The same argument as in the UK (Buckingham Palace is the residence of the Queen, a symbol of monarchy) was used: the Inner Court has been housing Government since 14th C and now it should be emptied for years, displacing hundreds of staff?

Finally the argument was that the restoration will be só disruptive (removal of asbestos, of led pipings, of old wirings, replacing of rotten wooden beams, completely new tiled roofs, security arrangements, exhaustingly precize restoration works to paintings, guilded ornaments, textile wallhangings, etc.) that a continuation of residence would almost double the prize.

Imagine the massive works, the complexity and... be sure that always it will take longer than expected because of "unforeseeable setbacks in the process", with an upward pushing effect to the bill. I hope the wish of the Court to continue the daily use during the restoration will not be a pennywise but poundfoolish choice...
 
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This has come at an opportune time, the Palace of Westminster seems almost certain to undergo billions of pounds worth of work to keep it from falling down so MPs can't moan too much. Its unfortunate that things have got so bad but realistically there is not other option other than to either do the work or let BP crumble to the ground.
 
IMO it would be more efficient, cheaper and much safer(!) if BP was shut down for the whole renovation.

What realistic alternative is there for BP in London?
 
Whilst I understand the logistics of keeping HM and the "crew" at BP. I just think the renovations would be done quicker and the public would see results quicker if the whole place was shut down and it done in 4 or 5 years not 10.

Whilst the amount of money might not even scratch the surface, in black and white it's a lot of money in this present climate.
 
Lumutqueen said:
Whilst I understand the logistics of keeping HM and the "crew" at BP. I just think the renovations would be done quicker and the public would see results quicker if the whole place was shut down and it done in 4 or 5 years not 10.

Whilst the amount of money might not even scratch the surface, in black and white it's a lot of money in this present climate.
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It's one of the main reasons why the project will take that amount of time. It's remaining a full-time working home while the project take place.
 
What realistic alternative is there for BP in London?
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As a Londoner I seriously CANNOT think of a viable location.. St James' ? {too small], KP?[too small and occupied] Hampton Court ? {too distant, and open to the Public, Lancaster House ? [ FAR too small.] An Hotel [the Ritz, for example] ? Privately owned, so to rent it, would add VASTLY to the cost of the whole exercise...

Others may have other ideas, but 'I'm stumped' !
 
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I think it is long overdue to have the Palace repaired - that old adage of "make do and mend" is all very well if you actually do the "mend" bit - something we all too often lack. I did have it in mind for there to be some cosmetic improvements as well but I suppose the repairs will do.
 
They are doing it in sections which will help since the palace is 4 sided around a forecourt. The back section is where the state rooms are.

There isn't a govt office building to stick the various people who work at BP. Renting central London office space would be expensive.

Plus being a Grade 1 building, it adds cost and time.
 
Was there a figure/time scale given if they moved everyone out?

Even if they halved the time, that's still a lot of tourist revenue to forego (and how many people will put off trips to the UK until it's open again?).

Another factor is the tens of thousands of people who would be cheated of the experience of having their investiture at BP, or attending a garden party, etc.

I have to believe that those people were a factor in the decision.

The reality is that extraordinary buildings require extraordinary upkeep.
 
Buckingham Palace renovation: 9 things you may not know - Macleans.ca

This is a great report by a canadian journalist explaining the situation re BP refit. I've pointed UK journos in this direction and some are unhappy. Thats probably because it isnt biased - its balanced pragmatic and honest IMO.

Really worth reading.

Can I add that this isnt about doing work that the public will see - its mainly infrastructure. Its about enable the palace to work in the 21st century. Its reducing risk
 
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A major renovation will certainly save money! Lots of money!

Apart from the danger of the whole thing caving in eventually - and that'll be pretty expensive! Not to mention the risk of fire.
It must cost a fortune in heating and electric bills!

I imagine the windows are hopelessly old-fashioned and draughty.
The walls are no doubt not insulated.
That means loads of heat going out the palace every day. Good for the song-birds on cold days but not for the heating bill!

Updating the wiring will not only make the place safer, but safe lots of money as well. Imagine all the low energy-devises that the current sockets and wiring is not designed to cope with.

London as about the same latitude as Berlin and in Germany they have more solar-panels than mushrooms! So a few panels here and there on the roofs will not only safe a little extra money but send out a good signal environmental-wise as well.

A good ventilation system means windows in many places need never be opened. And that's good for security as well. - Without the need for air-condition mind you.

Installing modern toilets and piping alone is enough to save hundreds of liters of water every single day. At the very least!

The heating system. A modern intelligent system will save loads of money every day, simply by lowering and increasing the temperature according to where people are at any given time.

Insulating the roof will with guarantee save serious money! - Alas, the birds will no longer be able to warm the feet... :p

In ten years BP could be the most energy-efficient palace in the world. easily reducing the costs with 50 % (I'm probably being conservative here).
 
:previous: Id just love to project manage this. So exciting
 
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