Buckingham Palace is set to welcome more tourists once renovations have finished (Image: Getty)
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Queen's shopping spreeA royal olive branch?Balmoral fun
Buckingham Palace looks set to remain as a mere ‘working hub’ for the monarchy, with no members of the Royal Family in residence. The iconic building in the heart of central London is a visible symbol of the monarchy, drawing thousands of visitors each year and countless tourists who travel to the Mall to pose for a picture outside the residence’s historic gates.
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But the current King and heir apparent are unlikely to ever live there. Charles, who is unlikely to move into the Palace once the ￡369million renovation work is completed in 2027, favours his more modest, Clarence House, which is just around the corner from the imposing residence. The King and Queen have lived there for the past 22 years, and it’s far more homely. What's more, the monarch just doesn’t like Buckingham Palace.
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It’s not a comfortable, liveable home, and he sees it as a place to conduct official business, referring to it as ‘the big house’. Simply put, Charles doesn’t think it’s fit for purpose in the modern world due to its extensive upkeep, which conflicts with his environmental views.
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Now, it appears his eldest son also feels no love for the property and intends for him and his family to remain in Windsor, even when he becomes King. It was revealed last week that the Wales family will move into Forest Lodge, their ‘forever home’, at the end of the year.
The Georgian mansion is an upgrade on their existing property, Adelaide Cottage, and boasts a tennis court and is situated on a private part of Windsor Great Park, so they’ll be sheltered from prying eyes.
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It will allow William and Kate to continue raising their children in a more relaxed, rural setting and remain hands-on parents. They plan to continue attending football matches and doing the school run even when they’re King and Queen.
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They still have their London base at Kensington Palace, which they occupy when in the capital for official business, but they’ll mainly remain in Windsor. As for the fate of Buckingham Palace? It will remain monarchy HQ, functioning as the working and entertaining hub of the Crown.
Receptions, garden parties, and official duties will still take place there, and it will be opened up more to the public as a visitor attraction to generate funds for its upkeep.
The grandeur and appeal of Britain’s most iconic building won’t be lost, and it seems more in keeping with the times that such a grand residence isn’t home to a King who’s desperate to appear more relatable and down to earth than his predecessors.
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Queen's shopping spree
While the Queen headed to the races last week for official duties, she also went on an incognito shopping trip with her daughter and granddaughter.
The trio was spotted browsing the shops in Ballater, a picturesque village near Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where the King and Queen are spending their summer holidays.
Camilla wore a summer pink and green floral dress as she perused the window of a local antiques shop. Her security detail blended into the background during the outing, which serves as a reminder that though she’s Queen, it doesn’t stop her from enjoying a spot of retail therapy when she wants.
A royal olive branch?
As an ex-Army Captain, it was right for Prince Harry to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. He asked a friend to place a letter and a wreath at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, where a service of remembrance was held to pay tribute to the “Forgotten Army”, those who fought in the Far East during the Second World War.
But what was perhaps most telling was the instructions Harry gave to his pal. He asked for the tribute to be placed only after the King and Queen, who attended the service, had left the site.
This was to avoid the letter overshadowing the official commemorations and clashing with his father’s duties. It is clear that Harry is learning from his past mistakes, but we’ll have to wait and see how long that lasts.
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Balmoral fun
The extended Royal Family will be making their way north of the border this week, joining the King and Queen on their annual summer break in Scotland.
The disgraced Prince Andrew arrived last week, with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson following suit a few days later. Their daughters and their families have also made the journey, with Princess Beatrice bringing her stepson Wolfie along as well.
Balmoral offers endless adventure for children, with its 50,000 acres, lochs, and abundance of rooms inside the Castle. Prince Harry referred to it as “simply a paradise” in his memoir, Spare. But the Duke has yet to share his childhood holiday home with his brood, as Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, haven’t spent any time there.
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