Buckingham Palace refurbishment uncovers staff relics and forgotten treasures
Refurbishment at Buckingham Palace has revealed a trove of staff belongings, including boots, tickets and betting slips, from years past.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Workers refurbishing Buckingham Palace have uncovered a collection of historical objects left behind by staff and builders over the decades. The items, found beneath floorboards and embedded in bricks, offer a rare glimpse into the everyday life of those who worked at the royal residence.
Among the discoveries are a pair of battered hobnail boots, a ticket for a card game event hosted by the palace's staff social club in April 1949, and a newspaper cutting about the Great Train Robbers. Also found were betting slips, a bottle of water, and a fragment of West End theatre listings from the Standard newspaper dated 1889.
Some of the items appear to have been accidentally dropped or hidden, while others, such as a length of rubber cabling, posed a practical problem. The cable, described as a fire risk, is part of the reason for the ongoing renovation. So far, workers have removed two kilometres of it.
The refurbishment is a ten-year project expected to be completed by next spring. During the work, the King and Queen have remained at Clarence House, and they have said they do not plan to move back to Buckingham Palace even after it finishes. This decision means more of the palace can be opened to the public for exhibitions and visits.
The King is still expected to host major events at the palace, just as his mother did. Officials say the building will be fit for purpose for another fifty years, leaving plenty of time for future generations to add their own hidden remnants to the floorboards.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One |
|---|---|---|
| During Buckingham Palace refurbishment works, workers found everyday items including a pair of hobnail boots and a card game ticket from 1949, believed to have belonged to builders. | ||
| The found ticket was for a Buckingham Palace staff social club card event held in April 1949. | ||
| The items are thought to have belonged to either builders or staff who worked at the palace decades ago. | ||
| Around two kilometres of rubber cabling, described as a fire risk, were removed during the refurbishment. | · | |
| The King and Queen live at Clarence House and do not plan to move back to Buckingham Palace. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 5's coverage was brief and part of a news roundup. It focused on two specific finds, the hobnail boots and the card game ticket, and attributed them to builders. No mention of the wider set of objects or the refurbishment timeline.
- “They include a pair of battered hobnail boots and a ticket for a card game event hosted by the palace on the 14th of April 1949”
- “They're thought to belong to builders who worked on the grounds years ago”
BBC ONE West provided a more detailed and colourful report, framing the discoveries as glimpses into lesser-known palace life. It highlighted the range of objects, the fire-risk cabling, and the broader context of the refurbishment, including the King and Queen's decision not to move back.
- “If these walls could speak Buckingham Palace has seen births Marriages War one bomb passed through the Queen's drawing room peace and plenty in between”
- “The old walls can't speak neither can the floorboards But they have provided a little insight into some of the lesser-known comings and goings of this most royal of places”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.