Inside the Buckingham Palace rooms where the Queen welcomes foreign guests, complete with luxurious furniture, historic paintings... and a two-bar fire

• Queen hosted Australian High Commissioner Mike Rann and his wife Sasha in Buckingham Palace's Audience Room
• Small electric heater can be spotted in the background, suggesting how difficult the palace's large rooms are to heat
• Canaletto painting worth £2million and Gainsborough portrait worth £5million can be seen hanging on walls
• Side-table is dedicated to grandchildren, featuring pictures of William and Harry in their military uniforms

Standing on a French carpet from the 17th century while a £2million painting by Canaletto hangs in the background, this photograph offers a fascinating glimpse into the lavish surroundings that Queen Elizabeth II calls home.
But despite the collection of riches taking up every corner of this Buckingham Palace room, a quick glance into the background suggests that times could be tight at the Royal Family's headquarters.
While you may expect a fire to be roaring, or at least a sophisticated central heating system to be firing, a tiny two-bar electric heater can be spotted helping to heat the high-ceilinged Audience Room.

Queen Elizabeth II meets the High Commissioner of Australia Mike Rann, and his wife Sasha, as she welcomes them to Buckingham Palace

HER MAJESTY'S PALATIAL ROOM - COMPLETE WITH WEDDING PICTURES AND PORCELAIN PHEASANTS

1:  Portrait of 'Anne, Duchess of Cumberland' by Thomas Gainsborough, valued at £5million
2: Painting of 'Venice: Piazza San Marco towards San Geminiano', valued for at least £2million
3: 18th Century English porcelain pheasants valued at £20,000; white marble and gilt bronze clock, valued at £4,000
4: English gilt mirror, from the 19th Century, valued at £30,000
5: French carpet from the 18th Century, value unknown
6: Commode is one of a pair made by French cabinet-maker Pierre Langlois in 1760, worth about £100,000. Photographs on commode show the Queen Mother, Edward VIII and George VI.
7: Photograph of Earl and Countess of Wessex on their wedding day
8: Side table holds black and white wedding picture of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall on their wedding day, and the engagement photograph of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
9: On side table, picture of the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry in their military uniforms and the Danish Prince Consort
10: Two-bar electric fire, cost £29.99

A long line of budget cuts has forced the Royals to make cutbacks in recent years, while the repair bill for the ageing palace increases.
But despite near-freezing temperatures in London, the Royals are known to face the cold with fortitude, with the dated rooms in their various haunts known for their draughts and difficulty to heat.
This picture of the Queen was taken yesterday, as the monarch welcomed the Australian High Commissioner Mike Rann and his wife Sasha for a private audience - one of three audiences held throughout the day.
Canaletto's Venice: Piazza San Marco towards San Geminiano is joined on the wall by Thomas Gainsborough's portrait of Anne, Duchess of Cumberland, valued at £5million.
A pair of English porcelain pheasants from the 18th century can be spotted on the mantelpiece, beneath a gilt wood mirror.
The room, situated on the palace's first floor, is also peppered with photographs of Royals, including the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth's father George VI and a signed photo of her son Earl of Wessex with his bride the Countess of Wessex.
Another side-table is devoted to her grandchildren, featuring pictures of Prince William and Prince Harry in military uniforms and wedding picture of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall.
It also features a photograph of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their engagement.

Luxury: The 86-year-old monarch hosted three audiences yesterday, with the picture allowing showing off the luxurious surround of the first-floor room