Obscene graffiti found on British palace, When a workman at Kensington Palace scrawled an obscene remark on a piece of concealed timber more than a century ago, he must have thought his crime would never be detected.

Either a proud boast by the author or an insult about a colleague, the piece of graffiti adorns a post supporting the ceiling beside the palace’s front door.

Perhaps spurred on by the fact that the pillar is boxed in by wooden panelling, the message is neatly dated 1/2/1902 and reads: "Peter Jackson, The Champion ------".
"When this was written he must have thought he was perfectly safe, that nobody in the world would ever lay eyes on it again," said Lee Prosser, Buildings Curator at Historic Royal Palaces.
“Sadly, we don’t know very much about Peter Jackson, but evidently he, like many others throughout history, could not resist the temptation to leave his mark on a royal palace.”
Jo Thwaites, who is managing the refurbishment project at the palace, addedl: "Very neat handwriting. Look how nicely he's formed the F."

Rather than facing the wrath of the royal household, the only action taken over the graffiti has been an investigation into the identity of Peter Jackson.
A spokeswoman said last night: “It appears that the graffiti may have been left by an earlier contractor responsible for refurbishment or redecorating works at the palace over a century ago.
“Curators have carried out research in an attempt to find out more about Mr Jackson and his role at Kensington Palace, but without any luck.”
Now partly rotten, the timber frame bearing the message has been replaced with a new steel support but has been preserved for future generations to enjoy.
The restoration project is now in its closing stages and will see the palace re-open next year to coincide with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
The palace has been home to some of the country’s most famous royals, including George II, Queen Victoria, Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess of Wales.
Originally built in 1605 as a private country house, it was purchased in 1689 by King William III and Queen Mary II, eager to escape Whitehall.
They immediately ordered major improvements to the Jacobean mansion to make it fit for royal residence.
The palace includes contributions from some of the most renowned architects of the past three centuries, including Sir Christopher Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor, Sir John Vanbrugh, John Nash, Colin Campbell and William Kent.
The palace is also home to the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection – 10,000 items worn by royalty and courtiers from the seventeenth century to the present day, including clothing worn by George III, Queen Victoria, Princess Margaret, The Queen, and Diana, Princess of Wales.


Source: telegraph