Prince Charles creates replica palace in tribute to beloved Queen Mother
PRINCE Charles has built a spectacular Buckingham Palace lookalike in the latest phase of his tribute to Queen Elizabeth, his grandmother.
The huge Palladian property sits in the heart of Queen Mother Square – the centrepiece of Poundbury, in Dorset, which commemorates his late grandmother.
The Prince of Wales has named the grand building, which contains eight luxury flats worth £650,000 each, Strathmore House in a nod to Queen Elizabeth’s heritage.
Her father was Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore.
The neoclassical building looks strikingly similar to Buckingham Palace, where Queen Elizabeth lived with King George VI until his death in 1952.
Next door is a building modelled on the Ritz hotel – a favourite haunt of Queen Elizabeth.
Another block of 20 exclusive flats will be called the Royal Pavilion, while the finishing touch will be a 10ft statue of Queen Elizabeth.
A spokesman for architects Quinlan & Francis Terry played down the similarity between new and old: “Buckingham Palace was never the inspiration for Strathmore House. The major influence for all our work at Queen Mother Square is the English Palladian tradition.”