Buckingham Palace, one of the most iconic buildings in the world, is mid-way through a huge £369m refurbishment – with completion earmarked for 2027.
Now in its seventh year, a new study by the National Audit Office (NAO) has assessed how well the Royal Household is delivering on its objectives and progression.
Despite the project being “well managed” and “within budget” some individual projects increased in cost and took longer, whereas others were under budget. For instance, the East Wing was completed over two years later than planned, and at March 2024 was 78 percent over its estimated cost.
But, other projects have come in under budget, such as the Picture Gallery and roof being 25 percent under its forecast cost. The NAO also say challenges that led to cost increases such as structural damage and asbestos discovery “could have been foreseen”. But other reasons for cost increases and delays were outside the Royal Household’s control, for example, COVID-19, variable inflation, and supply chain difficulties.
The head of the NAO, Gareth Davies said: “Updating decades-old plumbing, heating and electrics, as well as adding new lifts and lavatories in one of the UK’s most famous buildings, is a significant undertaking which has been well-handled to date.
The NAO boss added: “Sound planning and project management has enabled the programme to remain within budget to date and respond well to challenges such as the pandemic. While risks remain as the programme draws to a close, if these continue to be managed effectively, the result should represent good value for money.”
Buckingham Palace hosts almost 100,000 guests and attracts more than 15 million tourists every year – but “urgent” work needed to be completed including cabling, plumbing and heating to prevent long-term damage to the building. The Buckingham Palace Reservicing programme is being funded through an uplift to the Sovereign Grant.
The main objectives are to reduce the risks of fire and flood and to make sure infrastructure is sufficient with a life expectancy of around 50 years. New measures are meant to be included to improve efficiency and accessibility.
The Palace has previously said the reservicing project has created opportunities to take on apprenticeships and source labour and materials directly from the UK.
The last major reservicing of the essential systems of Buckingham Palace took place in the 1950s in response to damage inflicted by bombings in the Second World War. Repairs are said to have taken place on a reactive basis since then.
The Palace stated in an independent report that there were long-term issues with conservation and repair. It said: “If these issues are not addressed they will present a significant risk to The Palace.”
In 2024, Buckingham Palace’s newly reserviced East Wing opened to visitors following more than five years of improvement works.
This summer, guides are set to lead tourists around a selection of rooms on the East Wing’s Principal Floor, including the room where the Royal Family gather before stepping out for their famous balcony appearances
