Queen Elizabeth’s summer holiday is over. She spent her annual vacation in Balmoral Castle in Scotland. But, now that she needs to return to work, she may need to split her time between her beloved Windsor Castle and the official residence of the queen, Buckingham Palace. Per the Daily Mail, the monarch may need to commute between the two locations during the coming months.
Buckingham Palace is being refurbished to the tune of £369 million. The queen has been staying at Windsor Castle since Prince Philip’s death (except for her recent vacation), but she apparently needs to return to her London home so that the public won’t question the expense or necessity of the upgrade.
Royal expert Roya Nikkhah remarked, “I think the plan is for her to stay at Windsor. I expect we will see more activity with her back at Buckingham Palace as we approach the Platinum Jubilee next year.” However, the editor added, “I think she will resume residence again at Buckingham Palace in order to justify the £369,000,000 refurb.”
The outlet reports that Buckingham Palace’s East Wing is being updated with energy-efficient plumbing, electricity, and heating systems. Nikkhah pointed out, “[Otherwise] many people would [think] ‘what’s the point’ of the [refurb].” It seems as if even the queen is at the mercy of the public and the almighty pound.