Palace refurb

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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?

Now please!

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

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

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

You lot are so funny!

Anti-monarchists should pause and consider what can happen in a republic where an extremist can be elected as President. I remember Lord Ashdown (Paddy) expressing the opinion that the best argument against a republic in this country would, in two words, be "President Thatcher". I was persuaded!

She did not have to take the job Ana, it was not compulsory , throne or tower .

understanding this family is not possible, they have never lived in the real world , we all hsve our opinions on what makes them tick , we will never know .

I think the queen learned at a very young age to stifle any emotion, her mother was a selfish woman, her father had a mental health problem , her grandmother had the big say in how the queen was trained! Think how screwed up her own children were .

The press has fed us the story of the deep love between her and Phil, I believe it was an arranged marriage and try accepted this ,they have a damn good friendship.

She believes she was appointed by God, she does publicly what is expected of her, she stashes the cash as those who went before her did, a safety net should the country turn republican

Turn it into a hotel for MP's, then they will not be able to claim millions in second home allowances. Her Majesty can live in Windsor Castle, she doesn' t need all those homes, and before you bite my head off, I did serve the Queen for nine years in the Army.

I think the main problem here is the sensationalist way this is being reported. The newspapers are shouting £367 million!!! But this is spread over 10 years, less than £37 million per year. Contrast that to the £11.7 billion which the UK spent in foreign aid in 2014.

And those who say it should be given to the NHS instead should remember that the NHS's budget for 2015/16 was £116.4 billion. An extra £37 million would be an increase of less than one-third of one percent, which would have no significant impact on the current problems.

Contrast it to the money which the government used to bail out the banks - which has been estimated at £456 BILLION.

Estimates by the City of London suggest that tourists TO the UK spent more than £11.8 billion in 2014 (the last year for which figures are available). I know that they didn't all visit Buckingham Palace - but if just 1% of them didn't come because of our failure to maintain our historic monuments then the country would be £118 million per year worse off.

£367 million to repair such an historic building? It's a drop in the ocean. We should celebrate it not complain.

The press has fed us the story of the deep love between her and Phil, I believe it was an arranged marriage and try accepted this ,they have a damn good friendship.

They celebrated their 69th Wedding Anniversary today, Anniebach. Not bad for an 'arranged' marriage.

A damn good friendship is a necessary requirement of any long marriage.

Merlotgran, apart from beheading , untill Charles no monarch or heir has divorced. It's the way arranged marriages work, they have both had affairs, and with those number of homes and the number of rooms it is so easy to live apart but together. You have forgotten the press going frantic - at a time they didn't criticise - Phillip was away on tour for months, even over a Christmas ? Do you really believe he had no choice ? I think they have made a good job of their marriage , she puts the crown first and he accepts this

they have both had affairs

Where is your proof?

And I haven't forgotten anything about the press going frantic

Comes of binge-watching The Crown on Netflix

Never seen it Merlotgran

I think it is a scandal. I really loathe when I see one of the Royal Family visiting People after a disaster, or a flood or something like that. They have no idea, clueless about how the average person manages. Doesn't matter how concerned Prince Charles looks ( For example), here is a Man who takes his teddy bear everywhere with him, has his Valet iron the newspaper before he will read it, and takes his own toilet paper too. Give me strength!!

It is a ridiculous situation in this day and age that we have this `Royal` family which grows ever bigger by the year who actually think they were appointed by God . She should pay for repairs to her home (or one of them) herself like the rest of her `subjects` do , or move into something smaller. The idea of a Royal family should have been abolished years ago !

annodomini I have another one - President Trump.
Is that what you anti-royalists want then your own President? You think they will be cost effective, they won't be splashing the cash feathering their own nest? Ha! Dream on suckers.

Go for it HootyMcOwlface, you are so right. The Queen has served her country well no question of that. Think some people believe The Crown is completely true. The comment about foreign aid was interesting, how much of that goes on self serving projects.