A New Look For Buckingham Palace?
By Ana Zuravliova
Breaking with tradition, it is thought that His Majesty King Charles III will not be moving into Buckingham Palace. While remaining the traditional seat of the Court of St James, the palace’s future is expected to be more open to the public, with The King using it for certain events and affairs of state. At the same time, Buckingham Palace is currently undergoing extensive renovations, so in an alternate universe, if The King was to live there, what might this iconic building look like?
Keeping with tradition
As you might expect, much of the current decor in Buckingham Palace is very traditional in appearance. This is not only because much of the decor is rather old, but even newer additions tend to be in a more classical style.
Even if The King were to redecorate Buckingham Palace, it’s likely much of the building would retain that regency charm. We can say this with some certainty because many of The King’s other properties are equally splendid and decorated in colours, patterns and fabrics that would be as breath-taking today as they would be in the 18th century. Paisleys, floral prints, and rich colours with plenty of gold trim would stay prominent in a re-designed Buckingham Palace retaining the majesty of the building and the institution it represents. You can learn more about this supremely elegant decor style in our Traditional Style blog.
While this might suggest little actual change in the palace, there is certainly one key factor which The King would instil in its redesign – sustainability.
Sustainable furnishings worthy of royalty
Homes of any size, from one-bedroom apartments to Buckingham Palace, can help us to protect our shared environment from unnecessary damage and abuse. What’s more, making effective green steps is easier than you may expect.
Firstly, think about materials. Every year we use 500 billion plastic bottles around the globe. Less than half that number is recycled and much of what’s left ultimately lands in the oceans – or in landfill. Both eventualities cause great damage to the environment.
Today, the good news is that plastic bottles are being increasingly recycled and pioneering solutions are being created from them. Take our range of products created with recycled fabrics, the polyester used in many of our Roman blinds, curtains and lamp shades is made from recycled plastic bottles. This reduces landfill and damage to the oceans. Look out for our eco-friendly icon for relevant products.
Lovers of wood in interior design can rest assured that all of our wooden blinds and shutters are made using materials sourced from responsibly managed forests. This promotes sensible forestry practices which in turn reduce deforestation and environmental decline.
A sustainable future for Buckingham Palace
It’s hardly a secret that sustainability and a kinder approach to the environment has been in The King’s heart and actions for decades.
In 1970, aged 21, The King made his first substantial speech about the environment. In it he warned about oil pollution at sea, the excessive use of plastic and its lack of recycling, and the dangerous gases pumped out by “endless cars and aeroplanes”. In the intervening 52 years, little has significantly changed, however protecting the environment for future generations remains a key priority for The King, and it would certainly be at the core of any rework of Buckingham Palace!
From Llwynywermod to Dumfries House, The King’s homes feature multiple sustainable initiatives which would certainly be mirrored in Buckingham Palace, both within its walls and in its sprawling gardens.
The reign of King Charles III may only be in its third month, but after decades of campaigning for a more sustainable future, it’s unlikely he’ll cease to care about such an important topic. Should Buckingham Palace be remodelled in his image, it would certainly be even greener than it may already be, but regardless, we can all learn a lot about making our own castles that little kinder on Mother Nature.
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