£100,000 spent dusting chandeliers while Queen pleaded poverty

While the other aides were begging the government for cash, the Queen’s officials spent more than £1.5million of taxpayers’ money on cosmetic improvements to her palaces, it has emerged.

The details of the property accounts back to 2004 were obtained after a Freedom of Information request.

Nearly £100,000 went on cleaning chandeliers and £14,000 on a curtain to protect wine bottles in the Buckingham Palace cellars.

Refurbishing a staff canteen and games room cost £808,000 while turning a private cinema into a State function room was £458,000, official expenses documents show.

The Queen receives £38 million of public money each year, but it has been revealed that £1.5 mllion of taxpayers cash has been spent on non-urgent work at Royal houses

Yet senior courtiers at Buckingham Palace were begging the Government for extra funds to carry out vital repairs over the same period, 2004 to 2006.

Officials claimed the historic buildings were falling apart, with buckets in place to catch rainwater coming in through cracks in the walls and ceilings at Buckingham Palace.

“A couple of days ago we heard that Buckingham Palace was trying to take money from a poverty fund to pay their heating bills because of the financial pressure they claimed to be under.

“Now we find they have essentially been feathering their nest,” the Daily Mail quoted Graham Smith of the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic said:

“It’s an absolute disgrace. The Royal Family clearly holds the taxpayer in absolute contempt,” he added.

Fiona McEvoy of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: ‘Taxpayers’ money shouldn’t be used to renovate wine cellars or cinemas, particularly at a time when money is tight. Though few would object to the vital maintenance of national assets, this is pure indulgence.’

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “The reason the cost is high is everything is heritage listed. You cannot just get the cheapest version.

“The wines we store are used for State banquets and very valuable. The chandeliers date back to Queen Victoria’s time and have to be winched down before each piece is cleaned.”

“To an average person who has an average house, it seems a lot. But this is our Head of State in her headquarters and a high standard has to be maintained. People are not profligate with the spending,” added the spokesman.