Buckingham Palace is falling down

Queen Elizabeth has appealed to the British Cabinet to provide her with an extra one million pounds a year to help carry out urgent repairs at Buckingham Palace. ccording to The Independent, the palace needs three million pounds to be spent on urgent repairsOne huge chunk of stone has already fallen from the East Wing facade into the quadrangle missing the Princess Royals parked car by a few inches. Another chunk fell on the same day that hundreds of guests visited the palace to attend a science reception, royal aides said.

London, June 29 : Queen Elizabeth has appealed to the British Cabinet to provide her with an extra one million pounds a year to help carry out urgent repairs at Buckingham Palace. ccording to The Independent, the palace needs three million pounds to be spent on urgent repairsOne huge chunk of stone has already fallen from the East Wing facade into the quadrangle missing the Princess Royal's parked car by a few inches. Another chunk fell on the same day that hundreds of guests visited the palace to attend a science reception, royal aides said.

According to the Queen's public finance report released yesterday, the deterioration of the Caen stone in the East Wing is "very significant" and is raising health and safety concerns.

The lead roof at Windsor Castle - an area the size of Wimbledon's Centre Court - and the Victoria and Albert Mausoleum at Frogmore, in Windsor Great Park, also need repairing. The latter may have to be closed to the public on health and safety grounds.

The Queen receives 15 million pounds a year from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, to pay for the maintenence of the Occupied Royal Palaces.

But Sir Alan Reid, Keeper of the Privy Purse, said that figure was fixed in 1991 and had not been increased since, which was the equivalent to a reduction of 69 per cent.

The request comes in the week that it was revealed Prince Charles's personal income has increased by one million pounds in the past year to more than 15 million pounds.

The Queen's plea came as her annual financial report revealed she cost the taxpayer 37.3 million pounds last year, a reduction of 0.3 per cent and, according to Sir Alan, 62 pence per person, per year.

Buckingham Palace has its origins in Buckingham House which was built in 1677 for Lord Arlington. It was transformed and enlarged for John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham, by William Winde between 1702-05. In 1762 it was bought by George III for his wife, Queen Charlotte.

Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to live there, moving in in 1837.

ANI