This short film shows the work being done to remove ageing and potentially dangerous electrical cabling from Buckingham Palace. So far, some 2km of Vulcanised Indian Rubber (VIR) cabling has been replaced – equivalent to the length of 40 Olympic sized swimming pools. Installed in the late 1940s, VIR becomes brittle with age and poses a fire risk.
Removing the oldest electrical wiring is the first stage of a comprehensive Reservicing of Buckingham Palace. As set out in the Royal Trustees’ Report of November 2016, elements of the Palace’s plumbing, electrical cabling and heating have not been updated since shortly after the Second World War. These services are now in urgent need of a complete overhaul to prevent long-term damage to the building and its contents.
