It seems that UK will have to spend more to maintain the elegance of the royal family and the costs of the renovation of the royal buildings is just the beginning. It is definitely going to add to the woes of the national exchequer if we take the present predicaments and the related expenses in consideration. The first indication, in this context, can be the prompt decision of the National Audit Office to express the need or desire for an investigation into the very cost of repairs of the palaces of Queen that are falling apart.
It has been identified by the concerned authority that huge amount of money has already been spent in the renovation of apartments and to repair boilers at Princess Diana’s former Kensington apartment and Clarence House. It should be remembered that this is the abode of te royal couple Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
It has also come to the knowledge, owing to mounting costs and nearly stagnant international economic scenario, that the government has already reduced expenditure on renovations by 19% in the last eight years. However, still, there are no priorities and this makes everybody unaware of the estimated £32m backlog of maintenance needed for Buckingham, St James’s and Kensington Palaces, Windsor Castle, and Hampton Court Mews.
What has led to the problem therefore? The initial bill from the builders appointed for renovating Diana’s former home in Kensington Palace which remains vacant for over a decade was £250,000. But after the detailed appraisal of the manor it rose rapidly to £524,000. The necessity to repair the boilers to heat the apartment was also included in this.
Well, this is not a single instance. A problem, identical to this, was also witnessed since Prince Charles was interested to replace the boilers at Clarence House. While the initial estimation had been around £140,000; the final bill was £306,000.
UK has to pay a huge amount indeed to maintain the royal family. How far is this feasible in this worsening economic scenario?
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