Buckingham Palace Reshuffle: Major Changes Planned for Royal Residences

The British monarchy is set to undergo major changes, with Buckingham Palace at the center of it all.

After Queen Elizabeth expressed her desire for Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, to become Queen Consort when Prince Charles becomes King, Buckingham Palace has begun planning for other changes that will follow.

One of these changes will be the reshuffling of royal residences.

According to reports, Charles and his wife are expected to move into Buckingham Palace, while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are likely to take over Windsor Castle.

Buckingham Palace, one of the most iconic buildings in the world, was first used as the official London residence for British monarchs by Queen Victoria in 1837.

It currently serves as a working royal residence, housing the Queen's office among its 775 rooms, as well as 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms.

Members of the public can currently visit the majestic staterooms, the gardens, the priceless fine art hanging from the corridors, and Her Majesty's throne room.

In recent years, there has been speculation that the official London residence of the monarch will become a working hub for the monarchy, with no members of the royal family in residence, and opened up more to the public as a visitor attraction.

Charles, as first in line to the throne, has long planned for a major shake-up of the royal family once he becomes king.

Among his ambitious ideas is the opening of royal private spaces to members of the public, including throwing open the doors of Buckingham Palace and Balmoral.

However, the Queen is said to be against her son's vision to transform Buckingham Palace into a year-round museum, and wants the palace to remain a family home of sorts for the royals.

Charles and Camilla currently split their time between Clarence House in London and Highgrove in Gloucestershire.

In recent months, the Queen has been based at Windsor Castle, but has private quarters at the palace when she is in London.

According to a latest report in the Daily Mail, a source said that Charles is convinced that Buckingham Palace is symbolically the home of the monarch, and that he should be based there when king.

The source added that “there is no question about it, His Royal Highness's view is that you need a monarch at monarchy HQ.

This has never been in doubt.”

The insider continued, “The Prince of Wales will not move into Buckingham Palace before he is king.

But when he is, he absolutely will.

Just like the Queen, it will effectively be the flat above the shop.

He feels it is right, just as the Queen does, to work out of Buckingham Palace.”

The palace will still be a working and entertaining hub and will also still be open to visitors.

It is a hugely important tourist attraction, but the Prince can still live there at the same time, much like he does at Highgrove, which is also open to the public.

The building is currently undergoing a massive renovation worth £369 million.

Its electrical cabling, plumbing and heating, which have not been updated since the 1950s, will be refurbished.

Every room of the building is expected to go into a complete overhaul to prevent long-term damage to the historical structure and its contents.

All members of the royal family, including the Queen, have moved out for the renovation, which is expected to be completed by 2027.

The Queen will also leave behind her Berkshire residence, Windsor Castle, and sources believe that it will be ultimately inherited by her grandson Prince William, next in line to the throne after Prince Charles.

The Duke of Cambridge currently has his primary residence at Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace, where he lives with his wife, Catherine, and their three children, Prince George VIII, Princess Charlotte VI, and Prince Louis III.