Buckingham Palace could be destroyed by floods, warn climate scientists

Buckingham Palace could be severely flooded in the years ahead, climate scientists have warned. 

• Buckingham Palace could be severely flooded as a result of the climate emergency, new research has revealed. 
• The Royal Family's headquarters in London is just one of many landmarks at risk of destruction in the coming years. 
• In other royal news, Queen to miss Lilibet's christening as Harry and Meghan break royal tradition with Episcopal Church ceremony.
  

The Queen’s most famous residence is at risk of severe flooding unless drastic climate action is taken, new research has revealed.

Buckingham Palace, the Royal Family’s administrative headquarters, has been identified as one of the key London landmarks to be destroyed by rising sea levels over the coming centuries. 

The study, which was led by the CEO of Climate Central, Dr. Ben Strauss, found that the 775 room building could experience flooding up to its second floor if governments fail to enforce preventive measures to halt the estimated global temperature increase of 3C. 

The disturbing news, which comes just a few days after it was revealed that Prince Charles plans to make Buckingham Palace a ‘flat above the shop’ when he becomes King, is likely to be a major cause of concern for the Queen’s eldest son. 

Charles has long been vocal about his enthusiasm for protecting the environment, delivering a passionate speech on sustainability at Highgrove earlier this year. He has also launched a conscious fashion collection with Net-a-Porter and opened a virtual climate change festival called It’s Time. 

While these floods are not expected to strike Buckingham Palace in Prince Charles’ lifetime, they could very well affect future generations of his family. Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, are likely to be around to see their beloved native city - and childhood home of Kensington Palace - ravaged by the effects of the climate emergency. 

The rising sea levels are caused by ocean heating, which leads to water expansion and the melting of glaciers. The main culprit of higher sea temperatures is greenhouse gases, which are released by fossil fuels and absorbed by the water. Ocean heating is devastating for both animals and people, disrupting the habitat of marine species and eroding coastlines. 

It's not all doom and gloom though. Buckingham Palace could be saved if governments act quickly. The Paris Agreement, which Britain has signed, has set targets to keep climate change at bay. The UK government has committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 78% by 2035, in an effort to soften the effects of climate change. It has also said it will invest over $5 billion in flood prevention projects in England over the next six years, which could including raising flood walls and expanding flood plains. 

World leaders are due to meet in Glasgow at the Cop26 Summit between 31 October and 12 November 2021 to discuss their roadmaps towards reaching the targets of the Paris Agreement.