In May 2005 the widow of an asbestos victim who worked at Buckingham Palace during the 1980s was awarded nearly £200,000 in compensation at the High Court.

The claim demonstrated the danger of gaining exposure to asbestos fibres, even in the most unlikely of settings.  Exposure can occur anywhere where lagged boilers and pipes exist, these include buildings such as palaces as well as more traditional industrial settings.

The size of the award reflected the relative youth of the victim of mesothelioma aged 58 and the fact that he was still working at the time of the diagnosis.  Awards of this size are increasingly common in claims on behalf of victims aged under 60.