His Majesty King Charles III is reportedly planning to move from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace in 2027, but at the moment the 775-room residence is undergoing a whole host of changes.
As well as the reservicing programme, refreshing the electrical cables and plumbing, Charles has asked for increased fire safety measures and what’s been implemented totals £1.4 million.
Firstly, a fire compartmentation has been added within the roof, with a bill this year of £788,000.
“The installation of additional fire compartmentation within the roof void further increases fire asset protection within the Palace. This builds on the work undertaken by the Buckingham Palace Reservicing Programme,” explains the Sovereign Grant Annual Report.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesThe palace is currently undergoing renovations
Then, a further £609,000 this year has been spent on the “installation of additional vertical building fire protection,” and the report goes on to explain that it “provides 120-minute resistance and additional protection for the building and contents. This builds on the work undertaken by the Buckingham Palace Reservicing Programme which focuses on fire safety.”
© Chris Jackson, GettyWindsor Castle had a large fire in 1992
Fire will be a fear for the royals as the 1992 Windsor Castle blaze had devastating effects, with 115 rooms destroyed. It was a huge fire and 225 firefighters were needed to tackle it.
A heartwarming initiative
Charles has been enlisting the help of apprentices to work on the renovations, and the scheme has been met with praise from royal fans.
“This National Apprenticeship Week, meet some of the apprentices working on the Buckingham Palace Reservicing Programme helping to safeguard heritage related skills and to protect the Palace for future generations,” penned the team as they shared an insightful video.
“Such an amazing opportunity!!!” one follower remarked, and: “Very cool! That would be a wonderful point on a resume. Resurfaced Buckingham,” another added.
The mammoth £369 million project commenced when Queen Elizabeth II was alive and involves futureproofing the palace.
Other security at Buckingham PalaceExtensive CCTV
The historic building is carefully kitted out with state-of-the-art CCTV.
Armed guards
Outside the palace, there is always a physical presence of His Majesty’s guards.
No-fly zone
In order to ensure safety for Charles and his guests, a no-fly zone is enforced over the palace.
© Photo: Getty ImagesGuards stand outside of the palace
Secret exits
The family know where all the secret doors and exits are, enabling them to make a quick getaway if required.
Panic room
If all else fails, there’s a bullet-resistant, fire-retardant panic room for Charles and Camilla to escape to. It has been reported that there’s even spare blood in there for the royals with their exact blood types.