The Queen only uses SIX of Buckingham Palace’s 775 rooms as she is ‘very modest’, says royal dressmaker
SHE may live in the stunning Buckingham Palace which boasts 775 rooms, but the Queen only uses six of them.
According to Her Majesty’s dressmaker, Angela Kelly, the Queen is a “very modest lady” and doesn’t spread out over the royal residence.
In her new book, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe, Angela wrote that there is much speculation about the private room of the palace.
She said: “Her Majesty is a very modest lady and only occupies a few rooms: her bedroom; her private sitting room; her dressing room and bathroom; the Audience Room, which is where she meets with the Prime Minister and other dignitaries; and the Empire Room, which is a waiting room.
“These rooms aren’t vast and there is space for very little furniture; just the odd wardrobe or chest of drawers.”
Angela said that after 25 years of service, it still shocks her that former members of staff share details about the Queen’s private rooms when they have “no insight”.
She added: “The only gentlemen that I have ever known to enter these rooms are The Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the royal family; because the Queen’s privacy is the absolute priority among her personal staff.”
Buckingham Palace, which was built in 1703, has 775 rooms, of which 188 are staff bedrooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms and 19 state rooms.
It officially became a royal residence in 1837 when it became the home of Queen Victoria.
When the Queen is not in residence, typically when she is in Balmoral from July to September, the spectacular state rooms are open to the public to visit.
She may be one of the richest women in Britain and have a host of sparkling jewels at her disposal, but the Queen has her frugal moments.
According to Adam Helliker, author of a forthcoming book on the Royal Family, the Queen recycled old bedsheets to be used at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Adam told Fabulous Digital: “In a materialistic world, how heartening to learn that the Queen continues to espouse frugalness in her royal households.
“Her Majesty is continuing to get good use from the bedspreads she rescued from the former Royal Yacht Britannia when the ship was decommissioned in 1997.”
According to a royal insider: "The Britannia bedspreads were salvaged to be used in all the main bedrooms at Balmoral.”
And the Queen, who has a fortune of around £340million, even goes a step further to make good use of the covers when they are too old to be used on the royal beds.
The source added: “They've lasted really well but the Queen has ordered that any which get too moth-eaten are cut up and made into cushion covers.”
It’s not the first time the Queen has tried to be savvy when it comes to saving money.
At the palace, string from parcels is reused, lightbulbs of more than 40 watts are reportedly banned and old newspapers are shredded for horses’ bedding.
MORE ON THE ROYAL FAMILY
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And the Queen insisted on delivering the line ‘Good evening, Mr Bond’ during skit with Daniel Craig.
Meanwhile, the Queen's dresser Angela Kelly said she has a ‘wicked sense of humour’ and loves mimicking accents.