Queen Elizabeth Might Leave Buckingham Palace During Remodel [Video]


Queen Elizabeth II may have to move out of Buckingham Palace so a much-needed remodel can take place. Buckingham palace has not seen a substantial remodel since Queen Elizabeth took the throne in 1952, royal officials announced Wednesday.

According to KARE, palace authorities say the home will require an estimated 150 million pounds, or about $237 million, to remodel and upgrade the home. Officials pointed out that old plumbing and wiring needs to be replaced, and they’re required to remove old asbestos. It’s rumored that Queen Elizabeth might have to leave to make the remodel go faster.

While $3.3 million had been spent on repairs within the residence, a royal source close to Queen Elizabeth says it still needs “significant refurbishment,” reports Hello! magazine.

“The initial estimates are that it needs $236 million of work, but that figure depends on how we go about the work, whether it is done in parts or all at the same time,” said the palace source to Hello!. “That’s something we need to look at very seriously because it will affect the cost. One option is for the palace to be vacated. The other option would be to do it in sections and move people from one section to another.”

KARE reports that the Keeper of the Privy Purse, Alan Reid, told reporters that the maintenance on the Queen Elizabeth’s older royal palaces, “and in particular Buckingham Palace, will present a significant financial challenge” for the throne. Annual accounts that were published on Wednesday revealed property maintenance, which includes the costs of Buckingham Palace, cost taxpayers £11.7 million per year.

Queen Elizabeth has several residences, but spends a third of her time in the royal residence in London attending to her affairs. Buckingham Palace was first occupied by the Queen’s ancestor, Queen Victoria, and every summer, garden parties are held at the palace. It’s also the site of many other events on an annual basis.

If the Queen does move out during the remodel, there’s no word which residence would be her primary seat, although a palace source told Hello! magazine that during the remodel, it’s likely that Queen Elizabeth will move into Windsor Castle, since “the Queen already carries out some investitures and banquets for State visits in Windsor Castle, so that would be the most obvious alternative venue.”

If Queen Elizabeth does leave Buckingham Palace during the remodel, she would be the first royal official to move out of the palace since Queen Victoria declared it a residence in 1837.

[Image credit: Chris Watt / Getty Images]

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