Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II’s official London residence, has served as the administrative headquarters of the British monarch since 1837 and for many royal fans, the closest they get to catch a glimpse inside the Palace is during the Queen’s Christmas message.
However, taking to their official Instagram @TheRoyalFamily, a rare sneak peek inside the Yellow Drawing Room has been released — showing the extensive renovations currently underway.
The video is a very modern move made by the Royal Family, who are now using social media to detail announcements (births, marriages, wedding anniversaries, birthdays) and movements of the family.
Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s modern approach to Instagram, and even to a certain extent Prince William and Kate Middleton, we’ve seen a shift in how the royals utilise the platform to share information.
This recent video takes the public inside the palace, sharing the painstaking approach to restoring the historic nineteenth-century Chinese wallpaper, which originally came from King George IVs Brighton Pavilion, which lines the walls.
The wallpaper was discovered in storage by Queen Mary after the First World War and will be taken down piece-by-piece to “not only restore the rare, fragile wallpaper, but it will simultaneously protect it from incurring damage from nearby construction work as part of the Reservicing programme.”
“Once the works are complete, the restored wallpaper will return to its home in the Yellow Drawing Room,” a caption accompanying the video read.
The caption also detailed the fascinating history of the East Wing of Buckingham Palace which was designed by Edward Blore in the 1840s.
According to the video, the wing, including the Yellow Drawing Room, was built for Queen Victoria to provide more entertaining and living space for her expanding family.
“Blore’s design included the famous central balcony on the front façade of the Palace, which was incorporated at Prince Albert’s suggestion. Since then it has been used on many national occasions, including annually at Trooping the Colour.”
The renovation is “vital” in order to protect the palace from the risk of fire and flood, ensuring that “old wiring is brought in line with health and safety standards” with the work taking years to complete.
“The refurbishment will also improve visitor access and make the Palace more energy efficient,” the caption read.
The renovation is part of a £369 million ($715 million AUD) refurbishment — the palace’s biggest since before the Second World War.
A new lift will be installed next to the drawing-room to “improve accessibility in the wing” and electricals and pipes will be updated.
The cost of the renovations is being paid for by taxpayers via the Sovereign Grant.
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WATCH: The full renovation video posted by TheRoyalFamily.
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