LONDON (AP) — The official overseeing the 369 million-pound ($483 million) restoration of Buckingham Palace says he is confident the decade-long project will be finished on time and on budget.
Master of the Queen's Household Tony Johnstone-Burt said Friday that some "essential services" in Queen Elizabeth II's London home have not been updated since the 1950s, and modernization is needed to prevent fires or floods.
Work on the 775-room palace began last year and has already seen the removal of 3,000 meters (3,280 yards) of vulcanized rubber cabling.
In the next phase, 3,000 artworks and pieces of furniture will be moved from the palace's East Wing to prepare for the replacement of wiring, pipes and other infrastructure.
The wing containing the queen's rooms is due for renovation between 2025 and 2027.
