CONSIDERING it’s the Queen’s official London residence, we’ve always imagined the day-to-day happenings Buckingham Palace run like a well-oiled machine.
However in the new Channel 5 documentary series Secrets of Buckingham Palace, former workers and royal historians say this isn’t exactly the case.
Even though it’s one of the most famous buildings in the world, Buckingham Palace has allegedly been dealing with a rodent problem since the 1830s.
Opening up about the Palace’s rat residents, Professor Kate Williams explained: “When Queen Victoria moved to Buckingham Palace, she was shocked by how many rats there were.
“Rats treated Buckingham Palace like their own personal playground.
“Victoria tried to put a stop to it but it ended up being a bit of a battle.”
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“It got so bad that Victoria had to appoint her own rat-catcher and his title was Jack Black VR – rat and mole catcher to Her Majesty.”
Unfortunately, the expert wasn’t able to exterminate the rats completely and the historian said the Queen Mother used to practice shooting on the rodents during WWII.
Kate added: “She was practising what to do in case Hitler invaded and she was kidnapped – she got a gun and she used to shoot them in this crumpled part of Buckingham Palace […]
“As recently as 2019, exterminators were called in because rats were seen tearing through the royal kitchens.”
What’s more, there are exactly 775 rooms in Buckingham Palace – including a few secret spaces for the 800 members of staff to unwind in.
As well as a post office and chapel, the Queen also has her own ATM in case she needs some cash.
Reflecting on his 10 years in the Palace, The Queen’s former spokesperson Dickie Arbiter said: “When I was working there, I would use the [swimming pool] everyday but then I gave up after a while because Princess Margaret used to use it.
“There used to be a staff bar which was got rid of a few years ago because the staff were getting a little bit worse for wear in the course of the day.”
Royal expert Susie Boniface said: “There’s a doctor’s surgery which is actually kitted out for surgical procedures if there’s an emergency.”
Considering the size of the royal residence, so it won’t come as much surprise that The Queen has a few secret passages to make getting around easier too.
Prince Charles’ former butler Grant Harrold said: “I remember once watching The Queen walking towards what I thought was a mirror and thinking, ‘what is she going to do?’
“She walked up to it and it opened and through she went.”
In 2020, a Good Morning Britain special filmed at the Palace captured this secret passage into the White Drawing Room in use which leads to The Queen’s private apartments.
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Anna Reynolds, curator of the Royal Collection True, said: “Often when the Queen is meeting guests, they’re lined up for her here in the Music Room for her to meet.
“It allows her to make an entrance without having to walk through all of the different palace rooms.”
