Over the weekend, Buckingham Palace confirmed it’s set to undergo a $621, 348, 438 refurbishment (£369m), commencing in April next year.
Describing the updates as “essential”, the palace stated the overhaul will ensure “it is fit for the future as the official London residence of The Sovereign and a cherished national asset for generations to come.”
The renovations will be paid for with tax payer’s dollars.
The renovations will commence in April next year.
However within hours of the announcement breaking, a petition was set up calling for the Monarchy to fund the project out of their own pocket.
At present, the 38 Degrees petition has garnered over 100, 000 signatures.
“There is a national housing crisis, the NHS is in crisis, austerity is forcing cuts in many front line services. Now the Royals expect us to dig deeper to refurbish Buckingham Palace. The Crown’s wealth is inestimable. This is, in a word, outrageous,” the page’s organiser Mark Johnson explained on the website.
Events such as Trooping the Colour will still be carried out during the ten-year updates.
Angry citizens have also voiced their concerns over the ambitious repairs.
“I’m 18, 37 weeks pregnant and sitting in a freezing house because I can’t afford to put my heating on… can I have £369m so I can live in a nice house where I can put the heating on from now until March? Sorry Liz, I think £369m can be spent on other things than your palace,” one user explained on the petition site.
“The Queen is the richest person (or at least one of) so the works can be funded privately and the ‘public’ money could then be used to make a massive difference to thousands of equally hard working and/or vulnerable people,” another added.
British politicians have also expressed their outrage, with the likes of Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and Labour politician Clive Lewis calling for The Queen to front the bill.
However Chancellor Philip Hammond has spoken out in favour of the project, insisting the upkeep of such a vital monument is “very important in supporting Britain’s soft power projection across the world” and the tourism industry.
WATCH: Everything you need to know about the refurbishments. Post continues after the video!
The palace’s balcony has been the foreground to many iconic moments from over the years.
Meanwhile, royal officials predict the face-lift will help reduce the palace’s carbon footprint by around 40%.
The refit will be carried out over a ten-year phase and will update old cables, lead pipes, electrical wiring and boilers. This is the first time in 60 years the palace has been properly renovated.
“Subject to the approval of funding, the program will begin in April 2017 and continue for ten years, completing in 2027,” the palace said in their statement.
Once the most pressing areas have been tended to, updates will be carried out wing-by-wing.
The Queen and Prince Philip will remain in residence during the renovations and continue to host State visits, garden parties and Trooping the Colour.
