by The Laird o’Thistle
October 16 2009

Viewers of PBS (the Public Broadcasting Service) in the U.S. will be quite familiar with a longtime favorite program called “This Old House” in which designers and construction crews come in to renovate, upgrade, and restore old homes to current standards of comfort, convenience, and energy efficiency. It is quite an enjoyable program, even if it leaves one a bit envious at times. News reports in recent months suggest that Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and several other buildings of major importance to the Crown could qualify to be in the queue for a British equivalent of the show. The multi-million pound need for new roofs, new wiring, and other upgrades seem to have reached a critical mass requiring urgent attention, as is acknowledged by both the royal household and Parliament. The unresolved question is about who ought to pay for the necessary work, and how the money ought to be raised.

The current government seems reluctant to lay out the cash to do the needed work… even though the palace and castle officially belong to the state. The precedent set by the financing of the restoration of Windsor Castle after the 1992 fire is being much cited, including calls for Buckingham Palace to be opened to the public on an ongoing basis even when the royal family is in residence. The allocation of funds within the royal household is also being questioned, with some saying that perhaps too much funding is going to maintain and conserve the royal collection while the structural needs of the buildings are neglected.

I certainly hope that the pressing needs of all the historic structures can be addressed as soon as possible. But the discussion also makes me wonder about the future use of these buildings, particularly the use of Buckingham Palace. In point of fact, many of the European royals no longer actually reside in the grand urban ceremonial palaces built by their predecessors in earlier centuries. Smaller, more private and comfortable residences have become their primary dwellings, with the official “working” palaces serving as ceremonial and state entertainment facilities. A similar destiny may be in store for Buckingham Palace.

By all reports, except for the young Queen Victoria (who apparently delighted in the place in the years before her marriage), Buckingham Palace has never been a “beloved” or particularly easy or comfortable place for the royal family to live. Vast distances and endless corridors are the rule rather than the exception, and it is notoriously inefficient in energy usage. Making it more public than private would probably work to the benefit of all concerned.

Queen Elizabeth II will almost certainly maintain her residency in Buckingham Palace for the remainder of her life. It has, after all, been her “home” for all but fifteen of her eighty-three years! But even so, in recent years her schedule has been rearranged so that she spends more of her London area time at Windsor Castle rather than at the palace. Prince Charles, meanwhile, seems quite happily settled at Clarence House, and may well opt to stay there when he eventually becomes King. As part of the St. James Palace complex Clarence House is very much a part of the historic center of the British Monarchy, and it actually served as the principal residence of King William IV – who despised the then newly constructed Buckingham Palace.

One potential problem in such a scenario would be what to do about residences for the other working royals – the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, and the Earl of Wessex – who currently use Buckingham Palace as their London base. In due course, both Prince William and Prince Harry will also need accommodation for themselves and, presumably, for their families. The decision, some years back, to discontinue the use of the various townhouse/apartments at Kensington Palace for royal housing may eventually prove somewhat unfortunate in this regard. Providing appropriate housing in a setting that also provides adequate security for members of the royal family is of concern in this day and time, as became evident when it was decided that Princess Beatrice would be housed at St. James Palace during her university studies.

The question of the future use of Windsor Castle has also been raised in some quarters. The Queen and Prince Philip have regarded and used it as a principal and preferred royal residence. The involvement of the Prince of Wales in the planning of the restoration in the 1990s, and the fact that he and Camilla chose to have their wedding and blessing ceremony there certainly shows a commitment on the part of the future King to the castle. But it is also conceivable that Charles and Camilla could eventually opt to live at one of the several crown properties that are part of the Windsor estate rather than in the castle per se. In my opinion that would be a rather sad thing. But given the public access to so much of the castle, it would provide greater privacy for future royals.

Time will tell in these matters. But for now, one thing is certain, both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle are iconic. Along with other buildings like the Palace of Westminster, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Tower of London they are so linked to the image of Britain that it is inconceivable for them to be allowed to decay to the point of becoming irreparable. The marvelous restoration of the state apartments at Windsor after 1992 points the way forward. It is devoutly to be hoped that the means to conserve and restore them will be found in a timely manner and that the work will move forward as soon as possible so that future generations can continue to know and value them in whatever capacity they may continue to serve.

Yours aye,
Ken Cuthbertson