Queen Elizabeth has been urged to pay the £369 million Buckingham Palace refurbishment bill herself.
A petition of more than 100,000 people has been signed demanding the 90-year-old monarch foots the bill for the repairs project, which will take 10 years to complete.
The campaign called 38 Degrees is headed up by Mark Johnson, who feels more money should be spent on education and health care rather than the upkeep of the royal residence in London.
According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, he said: "There is a national housing crisis, the NHS is in crisis, austerity is forcing cuts in many front line services.
"Now the Royals expect us to dig deeper to refurbish Buckingham Palace."Queen Elizabeth has been urged to pay the £369 million Buckingham Palace refurbishment bill herself.
A petition of more than 100,000 people has been signed demanding the 90-year-old monarch foots the bill for the repairs project, which will take 10 years to complete.
The campaign called 38 Degrees is headed up by Mark Johnson, who feels more money should be spent on education and health care rather than the upkeep of the royal residence in London.
According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, he said: "There is a national housing crisis, the NHS is in crisis, austerity is forcing cuts in many front line services.
"Now the Royals expect us to dig deeper to refurbish Buckingham Palace."
Several MPs have also had their say on whether public money should be spent on the project.
Speaking on ITV’s ‘Peston Show’, Labour shadow business secretary, Clive Lewis said: "I think the Queen could contribute quite a bit towards that – she’s one of the wealthiest people in the country. Why not?"
Meanwhile, Royal finances expert David McLure has said he feels Elizabeth should dig into the funds she receives from the Duchy of Lancaster’s Estate.
As the Sovereign, she is expected to rake in £17.8 million next April.
He said: "No-one is saying there isn’t an enormous backlog of palace repairs.
"But given the pressure on the public purse at the moment I would have thought they could do it bit by bit out of the existing grant they receive.
"The other option is that The Queen could dip into the money she receives from the Duchy of Lancaster and contribute a few million pounds.
"Yes it’s not a private residence, but as a gesture she could do that."
Several MPs have also had their say on whether public money she be spent on the project.
Speaking on ITV’s ‘Peston Show’ the Labour shadow business secretary, Clive Lewis said: "I think the Queen could contribute quite a bit towards that – she’s one of the wealthiest people in the country. Why not?"
Meanwhile, Royal finances expert David McLure has said he feels Elizabeth should dig into the funds she receives from the Duchy of Lancaster’s Estate.
As the Sovereign, she is expected to rake in £17.8 million next April.
He said: "No-one is saying there isn’t an enormous backlog of palace repairs.
"But given the pressure on the public purse at the moment I would have thought they could do it bit by bit out of the existing grant they receive.
"The other option is that The Queen could dip into the money she receives from the Duchy of Lancaster and contribute a few million pounds.
"Yes it’s not a private residence, but as a gesture she could do that."
Queen Elizabeth urged to pay Buckingham Palace repairs bill
