Officials announced on Friday that Buckingham Palace will require £369 million in order to carry out a decade-long refurbishment.
The costly overhaul has been described by the government as ‘urgent’ in order to prevent flood and fire risks in the 775 room palace.
“These urgent works have been properly costed and will ensure the palace can continue its centuries-long tradition of being the working house of our monarch,” said David Gauke, the chief secretary to the Treasury.
“We will ensure every penny spent achieves the greatest value for money” he added.
Not everyone would agree that these costs are necessary, particularly in the current climate where cuts from the Conservative government are not uncommon.
“The irony is just today the Tory government was debating whether to cut the number of elected representatives in a cost-saving measure. While steps should be taken to maintain and restore such buildings, I’m sure many will find it hard to grasp the millions available to restore Buckingham Palace when Tory cuts are leaving the poorest in our society to suffer.”
“The Tories should have brought this matter to the House so the details can be properly scrutinised and debated, rather than making it to the press”. said SNP MP Hannah Bardell.
Graham Smith, from the anti-monarchy campaign Republic, has described this cost as a disgrace. “The obvious question is why have the royals let it get into this state? Why haven’t they raised revenue through opening up all year round? If the royals can’t look after the buildings and raise their own revenue to fund maintenance it’s time to give them up
“The obvious question is why have the royals let it get into this state? Why haven’t they raised revenue through opening up all year round? If the royals can’t look after the buildings and raise their own revenue to fund maintenance it’s time to give them up”
Since the news was announced, almost 15,000 people have signed an online petition calling for the royal family to pay for the repairs to Buckingham Palace themselves.
Mark Johnson, who began the petition, said: “There is a national housing crisis, the NHS is in crisis, austerity is forcing cuts in many front line services. ‘Now the Royals expect us to dig deeper to refurbish Buckingham Palace. The Crown’s wealth is inestimable. This is, in a word, outrageous.”