 It has been her London home for nearly 90 years, but the Queen may have to move out of Buckingham Palace for a year under plans to carry out £150million-worth of urgent repairs.
If she leaves, it will be the first time a monarch has been forced out since Queen Victoria designated it as an official residence in 1837.
Surveyors called in to assess the royal residence say it needs a major top-to-toe overhaul after years of neglect.
They have suggested that the cheapest option would be to move out the sovereign and all her 426 staff in one go to so all the work can be done at once.
Royal sources on June 22 confirmed that moving the Queen and Prince Philip out of the palace is one choice being considered. They would live at Windsor Castle, their weekend home, although it is unclear how long this would be for.
The Queen currently spends around three days a week working at Buckingham Palace, spending an increasing amount of time at Windsor Castle where she conducts royal engagements with greater frequency.
Although parts of the palace suffered damage during the Second World War, even the Blitz did not force the Royal Family to move out.
Details of the plan emerged on June 22 following the publication of the Queen's annual report into her work as head of state and accounts.
Last year she received £37.9million from taxpayers through the Sovereign Grant but because of a jump in profits from the Crown Estate from which it is taken, she will see her income rise by 6.7 per cent in 2016/17 to almost £43million.
Aides maintain that the monarchy still offers 'excellent' value for money, costing the country 56p per person each year.
They have long complained, however, that government underfunding over more than 20 years has forced them to 'make do and mend', leading to a huge backlog of urgent repairs at royal residences, particularly Buckingham Palace.
Members of staff have been known to catch rain in buckets to stop priceless works of art and antiques from being destroyed by its leaky roofs.
Most of the state rooms have not been decorated since the Queen came to the throne 60 years ago, while large parts of the building are in such a state of disrepair that Princess Anne was almost hit by falling masonry a few years ago.
And the palace's ancient electrics and plumbing systems both need a top-to-toe overhaul.
Officials are now seriously exploring the possibility that the Queen and her staff will be forced to move out, either all at once, or in stages with the work being done around them.
As well as having to hold garden parties in a different location, any major closure of the palace could force its closure to the public for at least one summer season, meaning a huge loss of income for the Royal Collection.
Independent assessors say that 40 per cent of the royal estate – which includes Windsor Castle, St James's Palace and other residences – is in a sub-standard condition.
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