When you think of Buckingham Palace, high ceilings, grand rooms and gilded features may spring to mind; what perhaps doesn't come to mind is the presence of uninvited rodents. However, it is an issue that this historic building faces. Each year in autumn, the palace is subject to an "invasion", a pest control expert has revealed in an upcoming episode of Channel 5's Buckingham Palace: A Year in the Life.
On Saturday 10 October, the autumn episode of the royal series will air, and it includes scenes following pest control expert at the palace, Duncan Bosomworth, as he sets out to tackle the "autumn intrusion".
He strategically places traps where he thinks the rats will run, but also out of the way of the palace visitors' eyeline. "People have an expectation as they walk around Buckingham Palace and the last thing they want to see is rat boxes or mouse traps," says Duncan.
© Channel 5's Buckingham Palace: A Year in the Life.To tackle pests like moths, Duncan has to use eco-friendly methods under King Charles' watchful eye, as opposed to the pungent chemicals over yesteryear.
Within the same episode, it was revealed that Queen Victoria had her own private rat catcher who was called "Jack Black", and reportedly a rat was even spotted in Michelle and Barack Obama's living quarters when they came to stay. The president advised palace staff not to inform the First Lady!
© Chip SomodevillaUpheaval at the palace
Buckingham Palace's vermin may have been more disturbed over the last nine years as a major renovation project has taken place. The reservicing of the palace began in 2017 and will conclude in 2027, and it includes updating electrics and heating inside the residence to protect the building from "fire and flood". The mammoth £369 million could well have sent rodents scarpering due to the noise and disturbance.
© supplied by Royal Collection,Enterprioses LtdIt was first believed the King would move into the 775-room palace after the project was complete, but he has since clarified that he will remain living at his beloved home close by, Clarence House. The Palace will still be maintained as a royal hub, being used for work purposes and state occasions as usual.
Speaking on Jeremy Vine On 5, Former MP Norman Baker has raised criticism about Charles' decision, but royal fans were quick to defend the monarch's so-called U-turn. "Living at Clarence House saves a lot of money: fewer staff, lower heating bill, less electricity, less water usage etc. It has always been their principal married home, smaller, more intimate and more cosy for a mature couple. It helps too that it is a stone's throw from BP and way more private," one user pointed out.
A Year at Buckingham Palace: Autumn airs Saturday 10 October, 9:15pm.
