Queen wants extra £44m to refurbish palaces

The Queen is privately pushing for taxpayers to contribute an extra £44 million to the Royal household to cover the cost of refurbishments, letters released by the Treasury have disclosed.

The Royal Household currently receives £15million a year to keep up the royal residences, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, but needs about an extra £4million a year for the next decade to cover essential works – a rise of almost 30 per cent.

The request for more money for the palaces is likely to be controversial at time of cutbacks in the public sector.

Crucial repairs listed include the refurbishment of St James’s Palace – where Prince William and Prince Harry have offices – costing £3million and the renewal of lead and slate roofs at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, which would cost £18.3million. The roof at Windsor Castle covers two acres.

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