Queen Elizabeth may have to leave Buckingham Palace
What's the story
Queen Elizabeth II may be forced out of the Buckingham Palace due to the much needed repairs and upgrades of the palace. The Palace is in urgent need for some repairs as the 775 rooms of the Palace have not been refurnished for the last 60 years. In the meanwhile, the queen as well as the royal family will reside in the Windsor Castle.
History
History of the Royal Palace
Buckingham Palace, built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham, is the London residence for the Royal family of United Kingdom. It was formerly known as "The Queen's House" as King George I acquired it for Queen Charlotte in 1761 to be used as her residence. It became the official royal palace for the British Monarch when Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837.
Functioning
How does the Palace function?
Spread over 77,000 square metres, it has 775 rooms which includes 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. Hence, the palace has a range of things to be taken care of. Over 800 people are employed currently for various jobs in the palace like housekeeping, horticulture, catering and correspondence to name a few.
Funding
The main funding sources of the Palace
Buckingham Palace receives grants for its upkeep which are voted for separately in the Parliament by Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The Department for Transport provides the Royal Household with annual funding to meet the costs of official travel. Earlier in 1992, when Windsor Castle was burnt down due to fire, Buckingham Palace was opened to public to raise funds for its restoration.
Accidents
Accidents which have taken place at the Palace
The nine bomb hits which the palace suffered during Second World War did not affect the King and Queen who escaped them narrowly. However, they took the life of a policeman Steve Robertson. A fire broke out at the Palace in 2002 while the rehearsals for a concert were going on. Thousands were evacuated from the Palace which was eventually controlled without excessive damage.
Do you know?
Did You Know?
A 96ft replica of Buckingham Palace was burnt down to ashes with due permission of the Queen to raise money for charity. Edward Heath took five months to craft the impressive structure from 1,000 wooden pallets.