Prince Charles has been making plans for the royal estates for years now. Prince Philip was the one who had a big say in how royal estates operated, but Philip basically passed those duties over to Charles even before Phil’s retirement. Charles has already put his stamp on Sandringham and, of course, the extensive Duchy of Cornwall holdings. But what will happen with Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, St. James’s Palace and Windsor Castle when Charles is in charge? Well, little royal elves are already talking to the Mail on Sunday about the changes Charles will make, and is already starting to make:

The Cambridges will move to Windsor: Other changes being considered under Charles’s wide-ranging plans include turning Balmoral into a museum to the Queen and moving the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge into Windsor Castle, The Mail on Sunday understands. Charles is said not to want the Berkshire residence for himself as its position under the Heathrow flight path makes it ‘too noisy’.

The streamlined monarchy & the streamlined royal estates: He has been meeting with courtiers to discuss what happens to the palaces when the direct line of accession is reduced to himself and Camilla, plus the Cambridges. The source said: ‘The central point is: when the Queen is no longer here, how do you effectively spread two generations of the family across quite a large number of properties? 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. Everything is seen through the lens of the question: ‘What value is this offering to the public?’ 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.’

Andrew will still have Royal Lodge: The Duke of York is said to be particularly anxious about his home, Park Lodge in Windsor Great Park. However, courtiers say there is no suggestion he will be asked to move. Prince Edward and Princess Anne are also said to be safe in Bagshot Park at Windsor and Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire respectively. But others – including Andrew’s daughters Beatrice and Eugenie – will be vying for accommodation in the reshuffle.

BP changes: Buckingham Palace, which is undergoing a ten-year, £369 million renovation, is set to be opened up on a much greater scale, with public access all year round instead of the usual seasonal admission. Meanwhile, the Monarch’s living quarters – which currently include 52 Royal and guest bedrooms and 188 staff bedrooms – will be dramatically cut. A friend of Charles said: ‘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. Both the Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall are very practical and see that the reigning Monarch must live at Buckingham Palace, otherwise it would become like Hampton Court’ – a visitor attraction rather than a working royal palace.

Charles doesn’t want to use Windsor Castle: The friend added that the Cambridges are likely to move to Windsor – a relocation the family are said to want. ‘Charles is not keen on Windsor because it is quite noisy,’ the source added: ‘His view is that if he’s heading to Windsor, he may as well carry on to Highgrove in Gloucestershire.’ Charles is expected to keep his beloved Highgrove as his family home. It is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, which William will inherit when Charles becomes King. Then William will be his father’s landlord, taking £700,000 a year rent.

Charles won’t live in Clarence House? In London, Charles’s official Clarence House residence was originally earmarked for Harry but his departure to California means that is ‘no longer on the cards’. It is now more likely to be saved for Prince George, Princess Charlotte or Prince Louis, although its outdated decor is a turn-off for younger Royals. A source said: ‘No one is terribly fond of Clarence House because it’s still seen very much as the Queen Mother’s place.’

The Scottish properties: Charles intends to keep another of his grandmother’s properties – Birkhall in Scotland, which he inherited on her death in 2002 and one of the few places where he is said to feel at home. It is part of the Balmoral Estate, the Queen’s favourite residence. Balmoral’s grounds and gardens are closed to the public in the summer when she is in residence but under Charles, there is set to be far greater access. A source said: ‘The talk is of opening a museum paying tribute to the Queen.’

The Keens at Anmer Hall: The Cambridges look set to keep Anmer Hall, the nearby mansion which the Queen gave them after their 2011 wedding and also stand to inherit Llwynywermod, the Welsh home of the Prince of Wales.

[From The Mail on Sunday]

So Charles wants to keep Highgrove as his country home, but Highgrove is part of the Duchy of Cornwall estates, which will be turned over to William? And William and Kate will be completely based at Windsor Castle when the Queen passes? Hm. I think that would probably work out well, given that William will still be a lazy jackoff when he’s Prince of Wales, and he’ll also be out of the way for King Charles. It’s also completely ridiculous for Charles to say NOW that he intended to put Harry in Clarence House – that was not the message Harry got several years ago, you know? That was when the Queen didn’t give Harry and Meghan the chance to have a London home, and then sent them to the servant’s quarters in Windsor. Blech. Anyway, all of the royal estates should be museums and/or sold off completely. Enough of this!

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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By: Kaiser
Title: Prince Charles wants to give Windsor Castle to William & Kate as their residence
Sourced From: www.celebitchy.com/735468/prince_charles_wants_to_give_windsor_castle_to_william_kate_as_their_residence/
Published Date: Mon, 04 Oct 2021 11:25:23 +0000

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