Had this game where i had moscow and st .petersburg. I wanted to have my palace in st.petersburg to get most benifit from civil service. Well i let a barbarian take moscow for a turn and since st. peterburg where my only second city the palace switched to it.. :)

Just a small tip! (This was valid in civ3 too i belive? but more drastic with civil service in civ4 imho..)

Yes good tips.
But when the barbarians take your cities: have you check all yours cities improvement are still here ?

Good tip.....and if they raze the city do you reload the auto save?
:D

Havent really tested it out but in my case it didnt raze the capitol. the barbarian invasion cleared my building que but not my previous buildings (only a libary). I might have been lucky.

In my games i think barbarians only have razed size 1 cities.