A COUPLE who divided opinion when they painted the front of their house with a black Union Jack to honour the Queen have revealed their plans for the King’s coronation.
Vivienne and Alex Tate first painted the outside of their home in Teddington, south-west London, in 2012.
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They wanted to win a “best jubilee decorations” competition to mark the Queen’s 60th year on the thrown.
Yet eight years later the façade is still there, albeit in muted tones, after they repainted it in grey shades following the Queen’s death.
Vivienne, 51, told The Sun Online: “After all these years we’d quite like to have the house back to normal. We’ve had the flag painted on for nine years now.”
The executive assistant said the family would don their window box with “regal flowers” in the shades white and purple this weekend, but wouldn’t be painting their house again.
“I like it the way it is,” she added. “Before next year we’ll paint over it in an off-white colour again. We want it to be back to normal before we try to sell the place.”
Vivienne previously said the couple would repaint their home in red, white and blue for the coronation.
But they have since changed their minds.
“Having changed it to grey when the Queen died we’re not going to change it back,” she added.
“When we first painted it red, white and blue we only wanted to do it for the street party to force us to paint the house. We’ve had it nine years now. It’s been long enough.”
The paint job took the couple a day to achieve, and she said the worst bit was putting all the tape in place.
She added: “It was quite painful.”
The family is planning on having a quiet one for the coronation, and said their street won’t be holding a party this year.
She said: “We’ll definitely watch the coronation. We’re really excited.”
Vivienne’s neighbour Ray Neve, 60, said the street “absolutely loved” the flag design.
He added: “I think it’s been received incredibly positively. The pleasure it’s brought the street is phenomenal. Repainting the house in the Queen’s memory was fantastic.
“It was obviously prior to that the colours of the union flag. It would be a shame to lose it. It’s certainly been well received from far and wide. We have so many people walking along taking pictures.”
Other neighbours, who didn’t want to be named, were less keen.
One said: “We’ve been here a few weeks but we don’t like it. I don’t like the house at all.”
Another added: “If it pleases them that’s okay. I’m not bothered by it, I think flags are foolish and a waste of time.”
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