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Buckingham Palace renovations to reportedly cost citizens £369 million

Buckingham Palace is reportedly going through a massive renovation which will cost the public millions

By Web Desk
February 19, 2020
Buckingham Palace renovations to reportedly cost citizens £369 million. Photo: Instagram

Buckingham Palace is reportedly going through a massive renovation  which will cost the public about  £369 million.

The family is changing things up a bit for this new decade it appears, as they have taken to providing royal fans, a glimpse into the palace’s refurbishment.

The royal family's Instagram account unveiled all the projects being undertaken through a short video clip. The main area of focus, that the video emphasizes upon, was the drive for wallpaper conservation within the family’s yellow drawing room, in the East castle wing.

According to a report by Hello! Magazine, the total refurbishment for the total project will rake in  about £369 million in total.

The video featured an interview by wallpaper conserver Allyson McDermott who stated, "We are very carefully removing the wallpaper, beautiful 19th century Chinese wallpaper, piece by piece, and then we will take it back to the studios to conserve it and preserve it for the future.”

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Watch as historic nineteenth-century wallpaper from the Yellow Drawing Room is carefully taken away for conservation. Not only will this work restore the rare, fragile wallpaper, but it will simultaneously protect it from incurring damage from nearby construction work as part of the Reservicing programme. Once the works are complete, the restored wallpaper will return to its home in the Yellow Drawing Room. The Reservicing programme is vital in order to mitigate the risk of fire and flood and will ensure that old wiring is brought in line with current health and safety standards. The refurbishment will also improve visitor access and make the Palace more energy efficient. Designed by Edward Blore in the 1840s, the East Wing of Buckingham Palace was built for Queen Victoria to provide more entertaining and living space for her expanding family. Blore’s design included the famous central balcony on the front façade of the Palace, which was incorporated at Prince Albert’s suggestion. Since then it has been used on many national occasions, including annually at Trooping the Colour.

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She further went on to explain, "This is the perfect time. The paper is desperately in need of conservation. It's very acidic. It's very fragile. And this is just a wonderful opportunity to do it whilst all the work is being carried out at the palace."

The palace also issued a statement which revealed, "Not only will this work restore the rare, fragile wallpaper, but it will simultaneously protect it from incurring damage from nearby construction work as part of the Reservicing programme. Once the works are complete, the restored wallpaper will return to its home in the Yellow Drawing Room.”

The biggest reason for this conservation project is due to the rich history behind the wallpaper, as the room was “designed by Edward Blore in the 1840s.”