PRIVATE PALACE

Anyone can have a home fit for a queen, it just takes a little bit of planning, and alright, maybe a bit of cash, says Jacqueline Wake Young

Proving that a woman’s home is her castle, the Queen has made permanent the move out of Buckingham Palace to her fortress at Windsor. Originally a temporary arrangement during the pandemic, the monarch has now made her weekend retreat her full-time residence as the palace undergoes a decade-long renovation. Like all homes, it needs repairs, including boiler, wiring and plumbing work – which have not been upgraded since the 1950s – and improvements to make it energy efficient.

Unlike all homes, the cost is £369 million and work includes providing housing in the grounds for palace staff and removing and storing thousands of artifacts.

In the east wing alone, there are 3,000 items including 40 chandeliers, 100 mirrors and china that includes a seven-tiered porcelain pagoda.

The entire Royal Collection runs to 7,000 paintings, 30,000 watercolours, 500,000 prints, and thousands of other pieces housed between 13 royal residences. The rest of us can’t compete with that and yet there are ways to make our own homes more palatial.

Step one is tidying up. There is no point in investing in beautiful things if no one can see them because there’s a heap of stuff in the way.

A home without clutter is already pretty posh, so decorating it in heritage colours such as Farrow and Ball paint will make it more Downton Abbey and less downtrodden.

While a 775-room palace can carry off a wild colour palette of pinks, reds and yellows, they have a completely different effect in our more modest homes.

Creams, golds and beiges in luxe finishes such as marble and polished metal is one way to go for a contemporary private palace, while a baronial theme with antiques and chintz is a more traditional route.

Either way, our own artifacts should have a history and a story to tell just like those in the Royal Collection.

Heaven knows, that clay pot made by little hands in Primary One is every bit as priceless as a porcelain pagoda.

Hand restored French chandelier from a selection at Fritz Fryer.

Remarkable regal crown tapestry cushion, £28, Joe Browns.

Oakhurst glass trolley, gold. £1,540, Luxdeco.

Siobhan Murphy deco cushion, £35, Freemans.

Anemone large vase, £728, Luxdeco.

Connor side table, £1,500, Luxdeco.

Camilla mirror, £2,405, Luxdeco.

Eva Tall dining chair with Giorgio silvery moon fabric and Java Cafe varnish, £2,100, Luxdeco.

ELEGANCE: Honeycomb corner sofa in natural mix, £3,599, Sofology.

Secret garden kingsize bed, £1,999, Sofology.