The British monarchy has defended the cost of refurbishing a Kensington Palace apartment for Prince William, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, and their baby, Prince George.
A royal spokesman did not confirm the cost — reportedly at £4 million (US$6.8 million) — for repairs and refurbishments, but said the royal couple had paid for their own furnishings.
The bill includes extensive work on the 17th-century London palace apartment, including installing a new roof, overhauling the electrics and carrying out plumbing repairs, while work was needed to remove asbestos.
William and Kate, have taken up Apartment 1A, formerly the home of Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II’s sister, who died in 2002.
The house was last refurbished in 1963, shortly after the newly married Margaret moved in.
The apartment was designed by Christopher Wren, who built London’s St Paul’s Cathedral.
“This is the Duke and Duchess’s one-and-only official residence. It is here that they plan to stay for many, many years to come,” the royal spokesman said, adding: “We also had to take into account the fact that Kensington Palace is a scheduled ancient monument, and all elements of the refurbishment had to be agreed with English Heritage,” the conservation body responsible for protecting historic sites.
William and Kate, both 32, “paid privately” for all the internal furnishings, including carpets and curtains, he said, adding that the couple ensured that the specification was not extravagant, the spokesman said.
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