Prince Charles is apparently planning to live in a 'flat above a shop' when he's King
While the likes of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle are very fitting for the Royal Family, it seems one Royal is planning to massively buck tradition when it comes to where he'll take up residence.
According to an insider source, Prince Charles has plans to live in a "flat above a shop" when he becomes King. Not what we were expecting either tbh.
As it turns out, Prince Charles plans to drastically cut down the Royal estate when he eventually takes the throne. Speaking to the Daily Mail, the royal source revealed the Prince of Wales wants to reduce the Monarch's living quarters at Buckingham Palace and open up more of the space to the public. Similarly, he plans to convert the Queen's favourite residence, Balmoral Castle, into a museum.
Currently, Buckingham Palace has 52 Royal and guest bedrooms and 188 staff bedrooms, and although there are public tours of the State Rooms and the Garden, Prince Charles intends to dramatically increase the area that's open to the public.
"The Prince of Wales strongly believes that these places have got to deliver something for the public beyond just being somewhere for members of the Royal Family to live," the source said, "Everything is seen through the lens of the question: 'What value is this offering to the public?'"
The insider continued: "Despite what everybody thinks about him not wanting to live there, he will certainly have accommodation there – but it will be a much more modest flat-above-the-shop situation akin to that of the Prime Minister at Downing Street."
As for why the 72-year-old doesn't plan on making the entire Palace open to the public, the source explained theres several reasons for this. "Both the Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall are very practical and see that the reigning Monarch must live at Buckingham Palace," the source pointed out, "otherwise it would become like Hampton Court – a visitor attraction rather than a working royal palace."
Another reason is that future Royals will still need a place to live. Take the Cambridge children for example, who currently live with their parents at Kensington Palace. "Everybody recognises it makes no sense to run so many residences but if you give them up entirely you will never get them back when Prince George and the younger Royals grow up and need somewhere to live," the source explained.
Until then, Prince Charles would like to see the Cambridges move to Windsor Castle – which, luckily, they've already been thinking about. "Charles is not keen on Windsor because it is quite noisy," the insider source said, adding that the Cambridges would be much better suited there instead.
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