For the last 3 years, Buckingham Palace has been undergoing an extensive renovation that will ultimately cost about £369 million. So far, it has proceeded piece by piece, and back in February, the Royal Family Instagram showed the progress being made on the East Wing. They began the renovation before deciding exactly how they would store the Royal Collection’s many rugs, porcelain, Old Master paintings, tapestries, and furniture as they moved onto the more opulent parts of the palace. For the last few months, their initial plan to build a warehouse in Windsor proved unexpectedly controversial, due to nearby outdoor space.
Per the Telegraph, the palace has finally settled the debate and expects to move forward with a 23,000 square foot facility hundreds of yards away from Frogmore Cottage, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s home near Windsor Castle.
Ever since December, when plans were first announced for the structure, Historic Britain has argued that it might have a detrimental impact on the nearby royal gardens. In a letter to the local council, the royal household argued that the need for the facility was urgent. “There are no alternative sites or facilities that meet the specific and necessary storage requirements,” they wrote, according to the newspaper, who added that the construction will likely be approved.
In December, the Daily Mail reported that the warehouse structure is supposed to be energy efficient and will be hidden from view by a large brick wall. Despite that, it means that if Meghan and Harry do return to Windsor anytime in the next few years, they might return to a vastly changed landscape.
Though Meghan and Harry first left the home in November 2019 to spend the holidays in Canada, they returned for a few weeks in March during their royal farewell tour. When they announced their royal exit, they decided to hold onto the property and reimburse the Sovereign Grant for the £2.4 million that went into its 2019 refurbishment. They reportedly began paying £18,000 a month towards the cost when Prince Charles agreed to pick up the bill for their private security in the United States.
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