General Discussion about Royal Residences 2: Sep 2022 -

[Hans-Rickard]

I agree.
It's supposed to be the oldest occupied royal castle, and for it to be simply a mecca for tourists would be a shame!
It's been rumored that Charles, who has no love for Windsor, intends to hand it over to William and his family, which I think would be ideal.

(Besides, tourists hang around at every royal residence).

When has it been said that Charles doesn’t love Windsor ?

From What i have read he is said to adore Windsor Castle but not Buckingham Palace that much, and may very well choose to keep his apartment at Clarence House as his private London Residence and only do the work and representations from Buckingham Palace

As the Wales family has just moved in to Adelaide Cottage very close to Windsor Castle, i don’t think another move is imminent.
Though i can imagine their staff and offices being relocated from Kensington Palace to Windsor Castle and they use it whenever they don’t have to be in London in person..

 

[muriel]

Why would they move in? It is a tourist trap and they would be seen by tourists qt certain angles.

The state apartments do not really overlook the private apartments. Entry and exit can be from entrances other than those in the quadrangle, thereby maintaining privacy. There are large private gardens that are not seen from the state apartments that can be accessed by visitors.

 

[tommy100]

We did see some videos of the RF in the quadrangle fairly recently though didn't we? I don't think it is entirely private (though for W&K and their children the castle does close at 4.30pm I think so it would be closed by the time the children really were home from school!)

I certainly could see William and Catherine using Windsor for official duties, it seems daft for them to drive to KP just to be able to use a room for a reception/audience etc when they can walk up to the Castle.

 

[Denville]

seems like there's a lot of dispute about the private apartments and whether it woudl be easy for royals living in Windsor to keep themselves away from tourists if needed. I would feel that its up to the royals who live there, to decide how much the castle is opened

 

[muriel]

We did see some videos of the RF in the quadrangle fairly recently though didn't we? I don't think it is entirely private (though for W&K and their children the castle does close at 4.30pm I think so it would be closed by the time the children really were home from school!)

I certainly could see William and Catherine using Windsor for official duties, it seems daft for them to drive to KP just to be able to use a room for a reception/audience etc when they can walk up to the Castle.

You are right, the quadrangle is not particularly private as it is overlooked by the state apartments. However, if William lived there, I suspect his family and he would not use the quadrangle much. There are other entrances that are not in public view, and there are plenty of large private gardens as well.

In all these years, there haven't been very many sightings of the Queen or other members of the BRF at Windsor if they did not want to be photographed.

 

[royal-blue]

If a working royal, for example the Gloucesters, Duke of Kent or Princess Alexandra, was to retire from royal duties, would they then be expected to pay rent on their home if it is in a royal palace such as KP or SJP?

 

[Iluvbertie]

In the past a retired working royal has not paid rent after retirement but that would probably change now so they will probably have to work until they drop.

 

[FigTree]

In the past a retired working royal has not paid rent after retirement but that would probably change now so they will probably have to work until they drop.

I don’t like that. It’s not as if they are able to build up a pension. They should be allowed to live there.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I don’t like that. It’s not as if they are able to build up a pension. They should be allowed to live there.

The King can give them grace and favour housing out of gratitude, courtesy and benevolence for a lifelong service to the Crown. But indeed better in a lodge or mansion somewhere than in a (state funded) royal residence.

 

[tommy100]

https://archive.ph/AySSb

The Times is reporting about royal residences going forward:

The King and Queen have no current plans to live at Buckingham Palace and will stay at Clarence House for the foreseeable future.

While Buckingham Palace will be the monarch’s “operational headquarters”, there are doubts over whether the King will ever reside at the building, which is midway through a ten-year, £369 million reservicing project funded by the taxpayer.

The renovations are due to be completed in 2027 but Charles’s aides had previously insisted that he would live at Buckingham Palace once he became King.

Deviating from the approach under the late Queen’s reign, the Royal Standard will fly simultaneoulsy over Buckingham Palace and Clarence House when the King is in London. Clarence House is on The Mall, a short walk from Buckingham Palace.

Prince William is also understood to agree that the palace is not suitable for modern family life. In time, William and his wife Kate, who recently moved from Kensington Palace to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, are expected to make Windsor Castle their family home.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “It is expected that the necessary works will be completed for Their Majesties to take up residence in 2027. In the interim period, the Palace will be fully utilised for official business wherever practicable.”

Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral, Sandringham and Clarence House will all open more widely for longer periods of the year.

 

[muriel]

https://archive.ph/AySSb

The Times is reporting about royal residences going forward:

The King and Queen have no current plans to live at Buckingham Palace and will stay at Clarence House for the foreseeable future.

While Buckingham Palace will be the monarch’s “operational headquarters”, there are doubts over whether the King will ever reside at the building, which is midway through a ten-year, £369 million reservicing project funded by the taxpayer.

The renovations are due to be completed in 2027 but Charles’s aides had previously insisted that he would live at Buckingham Palace once he became King.

Deviating from the approach under the late Queen’s reign, the Royal Standard will fly simultaneoulsy over Buckingham Palace and Clarence House when the King is in London. Clarence House is on The Mall, a short walk from Buckingham Palace.

Prince William is also understood to agree that the palace is not suitable for modern family life. In time, William and his wife Kate, who recently moved from Kensington Palace to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, are expected to make Windsor Castle their family home.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “It is expected that the necessary works will be completed for Their Majesties to take up residence in 2027. In the interim period, the Palace will be fully utilised for official business wherever practicable.”

Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral, Sandringham and Clarence House will all open more widely for longer periods of the year.

My guess is that Charles will end up living at BP once the renovations are complete, and use Highgrove as his weekend home. Birkhall will be his Scottish retreat.

William will base himself at Windsor, and retain Anmer in the current reign.

They will need to find a reasonable use for Balmoral and Sandringham, such that the family can use Sandringham at Christmas. Perhaps as a museum or a centre for charity, like Dunfries.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

My guess is that Charles will end up living at BP once the renovations are complete, and use Highgrove as his weekend home. Birkhall will be his Scottish retreat.

William will base himself at Windsor, and retain Anmer in the current reign.

They will need to find a reasonable use for Balmoral and Sandringham, such that the family can use Sandringham at Christmas. Perhaps as a museum or a centre for charity, like Dunfries.

I don’t think they have to do too much with Sandringham or Balmoral as those are privately owned properties and they should just use them as they always have.

 

[Hallo girl]

I don’t think they have to do too much with Sandringham or Balmoral as those are privately owned properties and they should just use them as they always have.

They are both working estates regardless of whether or not anybody is living in the big house.

 

[tommy100]

I think Balmoral will certainly be opened up much more to the public. Charles is likely to keep using Birkhall at Balmoral, William and / or other guests can use Craigowan Lodge - the main Castle is to some extent redundant most the time so may as well help pay its way by being opened up. Charles may still take up residence in the summer or just allow the family to use it for the summer. when it can close. Its worth noting Anne especially likes visiting and she was married a second time on the Estate and given how close she and Charles are I can't see him denying her use of the estate at times.

Sandringham I'm less sure about. Charles has no residence of his own on the estate and somehow I can't see him loving using Wood Farm. It is quite small, even compared to Birkhall. I think Charles will certainly allow it to open more it will be the one "main residence" he does use himself a fair bit. He has been in charge of the estate and the farming for some time and of course, it is close to W&C when they use Anmer.

In time I can see Charles moving into BP - we were always told the private apartments were going to be the last to be renovated (2026/27) so in many ways it seems silly for him to move in before they are done. I mean, he would otherwise be living in his mother's old rooms or the guest suite. I think until they are redone its hard to say what long term plan he will have. I wonder what will happen to his siblings - do the Wessex's still have rooms at BP or have they officially moved to St James now as well? Maybe Anne in time could move into CH - they could leave the bottom floor open to the public while Anne has rooms on the upper floors.

It is also worth noting that the plan always included making it easier to allow more visitors into Buckingham Palace every year so that is a given (be interesting to see if they keep this as a "Charles being a moderniser narrative")

I can see William and Catherine potentially moving to Windsor Castle itself, it gives them time to assess the privacy issues around this - maybe exploring ways to allow areas of privacy for them and the children in the Castle. For now they are certainly seeming to use it as their "work rooms". However, if they do move in I wonder what this means for some of what Windsor has been used for in the late Queen's reign - State Visits, Easter Court, Ascot etc. Would Charles and Cams just "move in" with W&C and the kids for these? I wonder if maybe Charles would move Easter to Sandringham - if he does anything "big" for it at all.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

They are both working estates regardless of whether or not anybody is living in the big house.

But what more could be done with them? There are farms that are utilized and it’s not as if the property is dead weight.

 

[muriel]

I can see William and Catherine potentially moving to Windsor Castle itself, it gives them time to assess the privacy issues around this - maybe exploring ways to allow areas of privacy for them and the children in the Castle. For now they are certainly seeming to use it as their "work rooms". However, if they do move in I wonder what this means for some of what Windsor has been used for in the late Queen's reign - State Visits, Easter Court, Ascot etc. Would Charles and Cams just "move in" with W&C and the kids for these? I wonder if maybe Charles would move Easter to Sandringham - if he does anything "big" for it at all.

Windsor is a large place. The state apartments, where the state banquets and other meeitngs take place are distinct from the private apartments. The private apartments themselves are large enough to allow W&C to have a large family home from an area for C&C to use occasionally.

 

[FigTree]

I used to be so sad, pre the Queens death, about Sandringham and Balmoral and Windsor. Cos it’s obvious Charles has little interest. I used to think about the family and what they will do but time moves and they too may have little interest in these places now she has gone.

A lot of the family live around Windsor and Anne’s family have Gatcombe.

Balmoral and Sandringham both need updating and they ain’t in the market to make them much money from the houses. The grounds would though. Let’s see what the plans this Christmas will be…probably the same. It will be a few years before things really change…for the first year people tend to keep things as same as possible.

 

[Somebody]

While Charles might not have an active interest in Windsor and Sandingham but he does have an active interest in Scotland although so far she stays at Birkhall - which is part of the larger Balmoral estate. However, William clearly does have an interest in both Windsor (he recently moved there) and Sandringham (Anmer Hall is on the larger estate).

 

[tommy100]

Charles does have an interest in Sandringham though, he has been in charge of the estate, while the farming side, for sometime now and is overseeing its change to organic farming. That is one of the reasons the use of Highgrove's Home Farm is now leased out. He and Camilla have always stayed at Sandringham over the Sandringham Flower Show period and possibly other times (that pic of him and William was at Sandringham it seemed)

If anything the one he has less interest in IMO is Balmoral where he has no real need for the Castle itself, having Birkhall to use. The reality is IMO no matter how interested or not he is the two estates not much will change - at most the main houses will be opened up more as museums but always with the option of being used again. It wouldn't surprise me if after the abdication both properties are held in some sort of trust format so they always go to the Head of the House, either way Charles won't want to be the one to sell off the family properties. Keeping them is, if anything, more and more important for should the monarchy come to an end these are the only properties the Family own themselves and would be left with.

 

[FigTree]

Who mentioned selling off. He won't, but the houses of Sandringham and Balmoral are not fit to be opened up. They will need work. Especially Balmoral as it is in a 70's time wrap. Buck House could be opened up permanently and realistically Kensington too should become completely public with people just living in associated houses.

 

[royal-blue]

Obviously Camilla has retained her Raymill home, but if she was to outlive Charles, is it likely she would still keep the use of a royal residence or two? For example, Clarence House and Birkhall? I can't see her living a grand, ostentatious lifestyle like the Queen Mum did though.

 

[muriel]

Obviously Camilla has retained her Raymill home, but if she was to outlive Charles, is it likely she would still keep the use of a royal residence or two? For example, Clarence House and Birkhall? I can't see her living a grand, ostentatious lifestyle like the Queen Mum did though.

If Camilla outlived Charles, she could probably get to choose whichever homes she really wanted, within reason. That said, I suspect she would probably retreat to RayMill, and may possibly keep Birkhall. I doubt is she would have an interest in more than that.

 

[HRHHermione]

If Camilla outlived Charles, she could probably get to choose whichever homes she really wanted, within reason. That said, I suspect she would probably retreat to RayMill, and may possibly keep Birkhall. I doubt is she would have an interest in more than that.

That’s my feeling too. She’d have options for sure but she seems to prefer less fuss whenever possible. Especially because if that happened, she’d likely be elderly at that point.

 

[FigTree]

If Camilla outlived Charles, she could probably get to choose whichever homes she really wanted, within reason. That said, I suspect she would probably retreat to RayMill, and may possibly keep Birkhall. I doubt is she would have an interest in more than that.

Birkhall is part of the Balmoral estate. It never belonged to the QM, that was a little delusion they let her have and then she ‘left’ it to Charles. In time it will be Williams. Can’t see him kicking out his stepmother if she wanted to use it.

She would just live at her house I think. She’s a country woman and she likes it.

 

[muriel]

Birkhall is part of the Balmoral estate. It never belonged to the QM, that was a little delusion they let her have and then she ‘left’ it to Charles. In time it will be Williams. Can’t see him kicking out his stepmother if she wanted to use it.

She would just live at her house I think. She’s a country woman and she likes it.

Not quite sure where the debate about the ownership of Birkhall cropped up from. I am not in any doubt that Birkhall is part of the Balmoral estate, and belongs to Charles currently, and on his death, will belong to William, just as it belonged to QE2 till her death.

That being said, if Camilla indicated to William that she would like to retain the use of Birkhall for the remainder of her time, I do not see William disagreeing.

 

[Blog Real]

Why King Charles' big Buckingham Palace move could be delayed.

https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/20221018154473/king-charles-buckingham-palace-move-delayed/

 

[FigTree]

Not quite sure where the debate about the ownership of Birkhall cropped up from. I am not in any doubt that Birkhall is part of the Balmoral estate, and belongs to Charles currently, and on his death, will belong to William, just as it belonged to QE2 till her death.

That being said, if Camilla indicated to William that she would like to retain the use of Birkhall for the remainder of her time, I do not see William disagreeing.

The QM herself. She thought she owned it and had the right to leave it to Charles.

 

[muriel]

The QM herself. She thought she owned it and had the right to leave it to Charles.

Might this be a presumption on your part? QEQM may have agreed with QE2 that the use of Birkhall would pass to Charles after her death.

 

[FigTree]

Might this be a presumption on your part? QEQM may have agreed with QE2 that the use of Birkhall would pass to Charles after her death.

It's what I have read in various books. How good their sources is who knows. I wouldn't know personally. I gather none of us would.

 

[tommy100]

I've always assumed Birkhall is in effect (and seen by the current RF) as the "dower house" of Balmoral so its would always go to either the Dower or the heir.