Buckingham Palace renovation unearths royal history
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Workers renovating Buckingham Palace in London, England discovered a collection of objects belonging to past palace staff during a £369 million refurbishment.
The ongoing ten-year project aims to update the palace’s infrastructure, replacing aging cables, lead pipes, and boilers some of which hadn’t been changed in 60 years. During the work, crews found items hidden beneath floorboards and within the building’s structure.
Among the finds were worn leather boots with hobnails, a 140-year-old newspaper clipping about a theatrical performance in London’s West End, and a 1949 entry ticket to a “whist drive” card game held at the palace. Workers also uncovered betting slips from a 1957 football pool, an empty Silk Cut cigarette box, and a newspaper article detailing the 1963 Great Train Robbery.
The renovation also revealed a detailed program for a diplomatic reception planned in 1977 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee. This document outlined how the Queen intended to greet guests and instructions for staff to encourage British attendees to mingle with diplomats. King Charles III and Queen Camilla currently reside at Clarence House and will not move back to Buckingham Palace when the renovations finish in March 2027, as the palace will be opened to the public more widely.
