You might think the Princess turned her nose up at the thought of living in New Cross, but living in the palace was presented at the time as a jolly good idea actually, yah, because of the savings in security. Nobody mentioned the taxpayer funded redecoration though. Funny, that.
The apartments are described by a palace official as "very unimpressive... a small set of attic rooms reached only by a spiral staircase of 60 steps" and that the rooms had been due for refurbishment for a long time. Unimpressive? Really? Has this guy ever seen a truly unimpressive student flat? With the rats and the mould and the knackered heating? Alright, so English Heritage would have a fit if the palace were kitted out from Ikea, but it certainly puts the duck house in perspective.
