The King hopes to "repurpose" the historic buildings once the royal family has moved out. Photo / AP
The King hopes to "repurpose" the historic buildings once the royal family has moved out. Photo / AP
King Charles hopes to give the British public access to Buckingham Palace all year round once all members of the royal family have moved out of the royal lodgings, according to The Telegraph.
Additionally, the King plans to “repurpose” the historic landmarks following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
This means that a majority of historic buildings, such as Buckingham Palace and Sandringham Palace, will likely be remodelled similarly to Dumfries House: His Majesty’s 18th-century Ayrshire mansion which is used to house his charitable foundation and host various philanthropic programmes and courses.
This comes after the news that Prince Andrew was informed he could no long reside in his private apartments situated at Buckingham Palace.
Due to ongoing renovations at the Palace, the Duke of York’s belongings were relocated out of his rooms. However, he was told afterwards that he could not return.
The King and the Queen Consort have expressed their eagerness to continue living in Clarence House full-time, leaving the Palace empty.
The late Queen Elizabeth pictured at Balmoral - the final public photographed released of her. Photo / Getty Images
A source from Buckingham Palace has insisted that royal lodgings were being prepared for Their Majesties in due course.
Buckingham Palace receives 500,000 visitors every year and the landmark’s state rooms are selectively open between the months of July and September. The Palace offers exclusive tours with historical guides, however they are limited during the colder months.
Windsor Castle has also remained uninhabited since the death of Queen Elizabeth II and is likely to stay vacant for the time being. Like Buckingham Palace, it is held in trust by the monarch for the nation.
It is said that the Prince and Princess of Wales - William and Kate - are content at Adelaide Cottage: a 19th century estate that they moved into with their three kids last summer. It seems the royal couple have no intention of moving back into the Palace.
The future monarch and his wife are said to be fond of the privacy of the cottage: a modest four-bedroomed home with no room for live-in staff and a sense of normalcy that the royals enjoy.
Windsor Castle at Christmas. Photo / Getty Images
In exception to various other royal residences, Windsor Castle is open all year round to visitors from all over the world. This is why it has the greatest amount of footfall, averaging roughly 1.6 million visitors annually, before the Covid-19 pandemic that is.
The late Queen Elizabeth’s favourite residence remains vacant. When in Scotland, the King favours staying at his own home on the estate Birkhall, instead of Balmoral.
And, although he will honour tradition and host Christmas at Sandringham for the royal family, the estate in Norfolk has also been marked to open to the masses.
Both Sandringham and Balmoral, which are privately owned by King Charles, will be open to the public from April to October.
Sources have confirmed that foreign dignitaries as well as banquets, events and exhibitions will still be hosted by the Palace in the future.
But, it is widely believed that the British public have a right to connect with these historical monuments while also benefiting from their amenities.
The decision to open the royal residences to the public indicates the King’s awareness of the hardship caused by the cost of living crisis. Making both Buckingham Palace and his Coronation open to all creates a sense of inclusivity and representation that hopefully will be at the very epicentre of his reign.
