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What it's like to live at Buckingham Palace

'30.04.2021'

Source: Travel ask

Life at Buckingham Palace is still a mystery to many. It is the official royal residence. The palace has rooms for the royal family, workers, guests. Living and working at Buckingham Palace has many benefits. For example, staff use everything from medical services to the gym. There are disadvantages associated with the fact that the building is old - sometimes the ceiling leaks. However, the magazine tells about everything in order. Travel ask.

Photo: Shutterstock

Jewelry may seem outdated

Buckingham Palace includes 775 rooms, 19 of which are intended for state needs. According to historian Ellen Leslie, not one of the public rooms has been renovated for sixty years. But this is a conscious decision.

“Most of us renovate our homes in a fashion. The palace is an exception. The royal family is trying to keep it in the form in which it has always been, ”notes Leslie.

Each of the public premises is elegantly decorated and requires a fair amount of maintenance. Most of the interior was created under Edward VII. Any repair work is aimed at maintaining the existing order.

Annual repairs are very expensive

Buckingham Castle was acquired by the royal family in the middle of the XNUMXth century and became the official residence during the reign of Queen Victoria. Architect John Nash expanded it, added more rooms and decorated it with intricate décor.

The maintenance of the palace is quite expensive. In 2017, the British government allocated $ 500 million to modernize water pipes, electrical wiring, lighting fixtures and radiators, some of which were installed before World War II. Apart from some practical and aesthetic changes, safety issues also need to be addressed. One day, a piece of fallen masonry nearly hit Princess Anne in the head. It is assumed that the renovation will take place over more than 10 years in several stages.

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English society argues over who should pay for the maintenance of the palace

The British government has invested about $ 500 million in the reconstruction of Buckingham Palace. There were some protests. In anticipation of this event, a petition was circulated in the United Kingdom requiring the royal family to pay for repairs themselves.

Several MPs reiterated the call for the royal family to finance the reconstruction, but Elizabeth II insists that she does not own Buckingham Palace, unlike several of her other residences. Her main argument is that the palace is the state royal residence.

The Queen actually lives in private apartments

In the northern part of Buckingham Palace are the private apartments occupied by Queen Elizabeth II and previously occupied by her husband, the late Prince Philip. The spouses paid for the furnishings and upkeep of the nine-room apartment, which includes a separate bedroom for the queen and her husband.

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The palace garden is so large that it includes a lake and an island

The Buckingham Palace Garden, spread over 40 acres (16,2 hectares), includes over 300 species of wildflowers, 150 species of trees, 30 species of birds, numerous species of butterflies and moths. The garden features a 3-acre (1,2 ha) lake with its own small island. Italian honey bees are kept on this island. The queen is enjoying the honey they make. There is also a helipad, tennis court and sculptures such as the Waterloo vase.

The chapel, post office and doctor's office - everything is in the palace so that employees do not have to go out

In many ways, Buckingham Palace is autonomous. Inside there is a post office, a cafeteria, a cinema and a medical office for staff. Once again, workers do not need to go anywhere unnecessarily. Extras include a pool, gym and chapel. The staff use the library and sing in the choir. This often causes criticism from the public.

At one time, there was even a bar for staff in the palace. But it was closed, because employees began to lean on alcohol.

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