Prince William, Kate Middleton’s ‘Ridiculous’ Basement Expansion Sparks Debate

Prince William and Kate Middleton are planning on expanding the basement of Kensington Palace, which will cost over $31 million.

According to Joe Gamp, a journalist for Express, Britons have complained about the palace’s plan to build a two-story iceberg basement. Doing so could mean that the palace will not follow the rules with regards to expanding properties.

Work on the new basement for Kensington Palace will commence in September, and this could only mean disruptions for the next two years. Neighbors residing close to the palace are displeased with the possibility of hearing noises while the work is being done.

In March 2017, Prince William and Kate Middleton announced that they will be extending their property.

“The addition of a basement story is required to allow for the accommodation of administration which must necessarily be moved out of rooms leased from the Royal Household in Kensington Palace,” the request for expansion read.

Donald Cameron, a local resident, expressed his disapproval of the palace’s expansion

“There will be 20 trucks a day coming and going. It’s ridiculous,” he said.

Patrick Hope-Falkner, who wrote to the council to prevent the renovation, said, ‘Is everyone cowed by the involvement of a royal palace? No one is above the law. Only if the planning department and local planning authority want to drive a coach and horses through their own regulations and guidelines should this application be allowed to go any further. It would be traumatic development to a listed building and a blatant defiance of the two-story rule to allow it.”

The additional basements in Kensington Palace are expected to be ready by 2020.

In related news, Kensington Palace is being criticized for the comment it made during Prince William’s official tour in Jordan. The palace previously tweeted, “A day in the Occupied Palestinian Territories will begin with a short briefing on the history and geography of Jerusalem’s Old City from a viewing point at the Mount of Olives.”

But a reporter for the Israeli website Ynet wrote, “It is regrettable that in Britain they chose to politicize the royal visit. United Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for 3,000 years and no distortion in the tour itinerary can change that reality.”