Royal Interiors, Part II

[joye]

Which Buckingham Palace room is this please and where is it located on the floorplan?

[RoyalWatcher]

It was quite a treat seeing for the very first time the monarch's private entrance to Buckingham Palace in "The Queen at 90." The foyer is painted the same color as her reception room where she accepts diplomate's credentials. It is rather plain with only a few pieces of furniture, but it is illuminated with many windows and is very bright. I was able to see the inside of the elevator as the Queen stepped out as well. Thrilled!!!

[CHRISinUSA]

The Cambridges this week hosted a reception at Kensington Palace in advance of their upcoming foreign tour.  Photos of the reception were not clear enough for me to answer answer this question:  when they host official functions at Kensington, are those held in the palace's state rooms, or in the Cambridge's private apartments?

In the past I suspect that official royal events at Kensington were always in the state apartments.  But since Historic Royal Palaces renovated it and turned the lower 2 floors of the state block into public exhibition / function rooms, I wonder if those apartments still at the disposal of the royal family for official functions?  And if so, would the Royal Household have to "rent" the rooms (as any other company / institution would do), or are they still entitled to use them free as back when the entire palace was under the control of the Royal Household?

[IvanVII]

From the Historic Royal Palaces website:

"The palaces that Historic Royal Palaces are responsible for are all owned by The Queen 'in right of Crown'. This means that Her Majesty holds the palaces in Trust for the next monarch and by law cannot sell, lease or otherwise dispose of any interest in the palaces."

So they are still royal palaces which would mean the royal family may use them for official purposes, as the crown still "owns" them and they are simply managed by the trust.

[Kalafrana]

I would imagine that the exhibition/function rooms are designed so that they can still be used for formal royal occasions, without any alteration beyond moving the odd chair.

Ann