Palace refurb

Of course she had to 'take the job'...

You lot are so funny!

I agree Nanna58,she didn't HAVE to take "the job" indeed would she have if she'd been required to live in a council house on an average salary? Not a chance in hell ...£75 MILLION they got last year !1 When other elderly people are struggling whether to eat or heat their ONLY home.Maybe if its so hard shaking hands and smiling foor a "living" she should have done what her uncle did and abdicated

It's a spurious argument to say she didn't choose to be born into her position, my point is that I don't believe that position should have been there in the first instance

Now please!

She didn't choose to be born into her position.

Are you saying the public should have been asked whether it wanted a Royal Family, Nanna58?

When, exactly?

Also,you say she had 'served the country selflessly', well having a royal family has always been 'a done deal' it is not , unfortunately in my opinion, some thing that we have ever been asked if people wish it to continue

One good thing about this country merlotgran is that this is my opinion and I am perfectly entitled to it!

Whatever anyone thinks about the amount of money it's going to cost to refurbish Buckingham Place, the Queen has served the country selflessly all her adult life.

She is not and never has been a grasping old bat.

No I am not happy! I think the grasping old bat should pay for it herself!

With the number of homeless, I cannot accept tourist attraction or offices for staff as a reason to spend this amount of money, there is Windsor Castle, the windsors prefer it to Buck house, why can this not become the Monarchs residence .

St. James Palace is a beautiful building with such history, it is used for flats for Andrews daughters and Alexandra and other flats are rented out,Williams and Harrys staff work from there , the state rooms are also rented out.

Do William and family need twenty rooms in KP so they have a London base?

A move around of this extended family is needed

I've got an advert for 'World Class Lingerie' trisher!!

So, who believes that this is what the refurbishment will actually cost? I would imagine that it is likely to cost a darned sight more! And yes, I agree that not all the money should come from the public purse, whichever particular pot they raid. There are far too many on the List - needs a huge cull! Don't see why we can't sell off part of Buck House for a hotel or luxury flats or something, this would rake in a huge amount. Can't we keep the front facade and the staterooms and all that stuff and sell off the rest? All those admin. offices could surely be accommodated at Windsor? Am surprised at how many on this thread object to this expenditure on the refurbishment. If we of the 'older generation' object, then there must be huge nos, of the younger ones who are outraged. After all it is they who will be paying the most over the next 10 years or so.

Is it just coincidence or is it some sort of GNHQ joke that an advert for an exhibition called Portrait of the Artist at The Queens Gallery keeps flashing up on this page? I assume the bits holding the huge and incredibly valuable art collection are OK. Can't see Queenie letting her old masters get wet.

GillT57 that is an excellent idea

I will write to mine too.

GillT57 sorry just read your post - when Windsor Castle was repaired after the devastating fire British Craftsmen & Apprentices worked on the repairs - I visited just after it reopened - it was an amazing experience

trisher you could take some sticky tape to seal up leaking windows and some buckets to catch the drips.
I'm sure they'd be pleased.

Or some electric cable to replace 60 year old cables, copper pipes to replace lead.
Last year, when a workman tried to carry out repairs to the Queen’s private chain-pull toilet, the whole structure reportedly came away from the wall.
Or you could mend the loos.

It is shocking that it has been allowed to get into this state.

Buckingham Palace is held in Trust by The Crown Estates not owned by the Monarchy.

The Monarchy only actually own Sandringham & Balmoral.

Crown Estates hold properties for the use of the Monarchy.

Grade I listed buildings would not appeal to Developers due to the stringent rules that govern any work carried out.

Houses of Parliament, another ancient building which it would be difficult to convert to another use.

Who is responsible for letting these buildings fall into this state - Governments over the years not spending money when it was needed. This is my opinion, others may not agree, can't see any solution other than repairing to a reasonable standard.

The bitterness of some of the anti-Royalists on here amazes me. I do think the Queen should have a word with Prince Andrew and his daughters though!

If we own it shouldn't we be able to knock on the door and ask our tenants if we can inspect our property?

in all honesty does anyone want some washed up politician as President of the UK I think they all cost more than our Royal Family.
And who wants to risk a politician like Blair or businessman like Trump as a President?

Wow didn't expect this reaction here! Well setting aside the issue of Monarchy V Republic, BP is not owned by the Monarchy but by us, the taxpayers. Yes they live there, in a goldfish bowl with barely a private moment doing a job until death, without paying rent, a small "perk" you might call it but one with out of date heating, plumbing and electrics. If you were in a rental property with these basic issues needing sorting out then wouldn't you expect your Landlord i.e. Our Government, to sort it out for you? Have an obligation to do so? Long after the Queen is dead the taxpayers will still own BP. Prince Charles is well aware of the Country's feelings of inflated Royal Lists (just look at the recent spat with Charles and Andrew over his daughters being placed on the List and paid for) and being perceived as Royalty being Value for Money. Having a Royalty brings in revenue outweighing the cost of List but having more tours of BP would bring in increased income for future renovations and should be considered like many other smaller stately homes have had to resort to. But that's a Government decision not for Royalty as not the owners, simply peacocks in a gilded cage.

Buckingham Palace should be sold off - it belongs to the Crown Estate and the Queen has said several times she doesn't like it as a residence. Windsor would be a suitable base for her to use when in London. I am sure one of the Russia multi millionaires would happily buy it. According to the Government this country is in dire straits, women have had their pension age increased by 6 years, men by a year. The sick and disabled are having their money cut, the out of work are having their benefits slashed too. Zero hour contracts are becoming the norm. How can we justify spending this money on a building??

The Crown Estate is paying for the repairs, not the taxpayer. Buckingham Palace is managed by the Royal Household, and they pay millions to the Crown Estate every year, so over the ten year period they'll put in more than the cost of the repairs.

On my occasional forays to London - hate the place really - but it gets the best exhibitions, I am amazed at the volume of tourists and they do all seem to want to see BP. They've seen it as the backdrop to so many royal weddings, etc it just represents London and to let it fall down would send a really good message that we are a third rate country.

I read somewhere that the French Presidency costs more to support than our Royal Family and in all honesty does anyone want some washed up politician as President of the UK (I'm not suggesting the Fr president is a washed up politician but you could bet that's what we would get).

Yes, anno The crown estate took over the assets owned by the crown centuries ago, and the income from them goes into national coffers. Surely the upkeep of the properties should have been coming OUT of the same crown estate income regularly over the years, not as a sudden vast expense?

Could this be a sudden realisation that the queen isn't going to around for ever and it would be cheaper to renovate Buck House now than to wait until Charles is in residence and expressing expensive opinions on what he wants done?