Buckingham Palace Reveals Lost Items Dating Back to 1800s Recovered During $500 Million Refurbishment Work
Buckingham Palace Reveals Lost Items Dating Back to 1800s Recovered During $500 Million Refurbishment Work
Meredith KileTue, September 15, 2026 at 8:30 PM UTC
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Items found in Buckingham Palace amid restoration workCredit: Aaron Chown/PA Images/Getty -
Buckingham Palace is currently in the midst of a decade-long renovation project
As workers have overhauled the boilers, pipes, electrical and cabling systems in the iconic royal residence, they have unearthed a treasure trove of historic items
The items include betting slips, glass bottles, planning documents for royal events, newspaper clippings and more
Amid a decade-long renovation of Buckingham Palace, workers have uncovered a trove of everyday items, some dating back to the reign of Queen Victoria.
The “total overhaul” of the iconic royal residence began in April 2017, with a planned phased program to replace the palace’s boilers, electrical panels, cabling systems, water tanks and pipework, some of which have not been touched since the 1950s.
Additionally, other changes are also being made to improve efficiency and accessibility at the London landmark.
As workers have pulled up floorboards and dismantled walls to complete the work, they have come across dozens of everyday items that now serve as a sort of time capsule throughout the decades of Buckingham Palace serving as a royal residence, historic landmark and public visiting space.
Newspaper from 1889 uncovered during Buckingham Palace renovations, photographed in August 2026Credit: Aaron Chown/PA Images/Getty
One of the earliest items is a newspaper fragment that features a West End theatre listing from the Evening Standard from Nov. 27, 1889, during the final years of Queen Victoria’s reign.
Embedded in a fragment of brick is a ticket for a Royal Household Social Club “Whist Drive” event that was held at the palace on April 14, 1949. The competitive soiree, featuring progressive rounds of the popular card game, would have taken place during the reign of Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI.
Invitation to Royal Household Social Club event at Buckingham Palace uncovered during renovation work, photographed in August 2026Credit: Aaron Chown/PA Images/Getty
There are plenty of items from Queen Elizabeth’s own historic, 70-year reign. Blank Littlewoods Football Pool betting slips date to 1957, a newspaper article from the Daily Express detailing the incarceration of the Great Train Robbers is from 1966 and a box of Benson and Hedges cigarettes appears to be the “Silk Cut” style circa the 1980s.
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There’s even a planning document detailing a schedule for a diplomatic reception held during the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977.
“The British guests will be distributed throughout the State Rooms, except the Music Room and West Gallery, where they should be encouraged to talk to the Diplomats,” the sheet reads, also revealing that the Queen would work the room during the event in a “clockwise direction.”
Procedure for the Evening Reception for the Members of the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace in 1977, photographed in August 2026Credit: Aaron Chown/PA Images/Getty
A 2016 report estimated that the Buckingham Palace Reservicing Programme would cost $487 million, spread over 10 years. It is expected to keep the palace, which draws over 15 million tourists a year, up to standard for the next 50 years.
The palace has remained operational during the renovations and was occupied part-time by Queen Elizabeth until her death in 2022. However, state visits, like the one by U.S. President Donald Trump in September 2025, have taken place at Windsor Castle during renovations on the palace’s event spaces.
Additionally, King Charles and Queen Camilla have been using Clarence House as their home base in London and plan to continue to do so even when the renovations are complete.
Buckingham PalaceCredit: Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty
However, the King will still host audiences at Buckingham Palace, and it will remain the site of major events like Trooping the Colour. Even without the royals in residence, the palace will continue to be “the ceremonial center of Royal life, the primary workplace of the Royal Household and a national heritage asset with increased opportunities for public access.”
“His Majesty retains huge affection for Buckingham Palace and a deep respect for its role in royal and public life,” the palace announced in June 2026. “It will remain a working home, but we are seeking to widen public access precisely to maximise the national benefit of a publicly-funded building.”
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Source: “AOL Breaking”
