The queen's decor

I could hardly believe it hasn't been redecorated since 1952! All that gold must wear well.

I was wondering if we could all move to Windsor while we have the decorating done?

With 775 rooms, including 78 bathrooms and 52 royal and guest rooms I suspect the 10 years to complete and £150m bill just might be exercising the royal mind!
I don't think Balmoral or Holyrood will be an option since Nicola Sturgeon's Nationalist government is planning to pull out of funding the monarchy, according to today's Times.

Perhaps all the gold is being picked off to fund it?

I'm just thankful I only have a small three bed semi it's difficult enough choosing a colour scheme for one room!

I doubt the bill is bothering Liz or the rest of the Firm as we plebs are paying for it. Buckingham Palace belongs to us. We're not allowed to use it and those that visit it in August actually have to pay to see what they part own but because we're the owners we have to pay for it's refurbishment.

I have visited it and it does need refurb

Nicola sturgeon just announced continued funding for the Queen. Probably feared a riot! Loopy just go for gold. It seems to last well

I understood the bulk of the money was for much needed improvements to the fabric of the building, which in some areas is actually falling apart. But then of course all that new plaster will need painting

Thank goodness for all those foreign tourists paying to see Buckingham Palace then. At least they're not claiming any 'ownership'

I'm not 'claiming' ownership. We own it. She gets to live in it rent free.

Nicola Sturgeon is going to get the money back, though. She's going to tax shoots in Scotland.

www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/british-association-for-shooting-and-conservation-basc/article/shoots-in-scotland-face-tax-re-introduction

I can believe that it hasnt been decorated since 1952. I dont think that the electrics have been done since then either.

Remember the Queen and I, by Sue Townsend of Adrian Mole fame- she got them sent to a council estate next to where I used to live- that would be fun and a nice change for them - and lots of fox hunting!

The Crown hands over all income from property and commercial activity to the government and gets a small percentage back to cover the expenses of office. This has been the arrangement for nearly 300 years. All members of the royal family also pay tax.

Tax shoots dj ?
For a moment I thought this was a new sport!

Line up all those who do not pay tax, loopy? Wouldn't be allowed, even in Scotland.

That's a thought !

The Queen spends some of her time their but it is not hers. It belongs to the country. If the monarchy was ended tomorrow the Palace would still be there and the government would still be spending money on it.

Today on a news programme I was amazed at the amount of money the Crown Estates put into the country's purse - far more than is ever mentioned being paid out to them in the Civil List etc - we are as a country making a huge profit.

It's a very large council house. She was lucky she wasn't asked to down size or pay bedroom tax . I am fed up with the hypocrisy of the windsors . the country is struggling, serious shortage of housing, homeless teenagers , the disabled losing money to help them live a fairly independent life and the windsors live a decadent life style still. Why should Andrews daughters be given apartments in one of our places ? Let them find work and get a morgage .

What wouldn't you do for your children if you could afford it? The country makes money out of the royal family, even if you ignore the effect of tourism and foreign visits promoting this country. Actual real money. You should focus your discontent on your MP, not on the Queen, if you object to welfare cuts.

Talking about Windsor, why do they not just move there permanently?
She says she prefers Windsor to Buck House.
We can do up Buck House, then Parliament can move in there while Westminster is being refurbished.
Then we can use one of them as a very big museum or art gallery, to display all the art that the public is supposed to own along with all the big houses.

For one thing Windsor could probably not accommodate all the extra tourist traffic the Queen living there would generate. The traffic would be abominable for the local population and cause a lot of problems. There are many many tourists who clog up the town during a normal summer season with no royalty there. At least where Buckingham palace is situated it is a place with roads, tube lines and other transport links already established. It is also in a place near enough to other Govt offices - can you imagine the journey for the queen to open Parliament trying to get along the M4 and arrive on time - I suppose she could take a helicopter from the Great park to Hyde park. Also just think of all the trade that London would lose out on. I doubt there would be much support for that solution. Personally I would hate the job that they do so well and bring in much trade and goodwill from the rest of the world. Some of them probably could be culled but the State overall does profit from the work they do.

Buckingham Palace is very much a working building. Nearly 100 of the rooms are offices and a lot of staff members live there. It's a focal point for official occasions as well as being a huge tourist attraction.

I can't imagine Windsor castle being able to cope with all of this which is probably why the Queen likes it so much.

It would an awful job trying to find another place to replace it on a permanent basis. I wonder how they will manage to function if they all move out at the same time. Be interesting logistic or someone!