The words “read the room” spring to mind.

The year has got off to a tough and miserable start with headlines of hospital health crisis as winter lurgies take hold - who hasn’t been laid low by one of the viruses on the march? – economic misery and everything seeming to cost even more since Christmas.

When people can’t afford their own home improvements in 2025 – or even heat it as energy bills rise again this month – reminding them that their taxes will be paying for a decade-long revamp of the 775-room palace is enough to bring pitchforks to the streets.

Streets where they trip over the homeless and poverty-stricken while public money is being poured into the refurbishment of one of the residences of the king, whose private wealth alone is estimated at £610m.

A YouGov poll by The Times unsurprisingly found that most Britons were against public money funding fancy refurbishment of the royal ‘home.’

Some royal contribution should be made at least to the reportedly “opulent” updates.

Money raised by visitor ticket sales would be a welcome cash stream to start. Windsor Castle’s repairs were funded after its fire 33 years ago with Queen footing 70 per cent of the reconstruction bill.

The parlous state of the UK, with hospital staff swerving buckets catching........

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