Taxpayer forks out £4m for Wills and Kate’s apartment refurbishment

Even in the most exclusive parts of London, £4m could get you a pretty nice home.

But for the Royal Family, £4m is a drop in an ocean of lavishness.

As it happens, Wills and Kate are merely refurbishing their Kensington Palace apartment for that distinctly princely sum.

And that money is, of course, coming from the taxpayer.

It’s not quite as extravagant as it sounds, though. Much of the work is being done on the building itself, such as renewing plumbing and electrics and sticking a new roof on, the Standard reports.

A royal spokesperson also said that “all elements of the refurbishment” had to be agreed with English Heritage due to the fact Kensington Palace is a scheduled ancient monument.

That meant the work had to be of “a high standard of work in line with the historical significance of the Christopher Wren building”.

Apparently Kate and William paid for internal furnishings privately.

And the Kensington Palace apartment will be their only official residence “for many, many years to come”, the spokesperson said.

So what do you think of the £4m cost?

Is it justified, to preserve an iconic English building? Or is this just another example of the Royal Family splurging taxpayer cash?

Let us know your thoughts in comments below and @londonlovesbiz.