Prince William and Kate 'won't want to live at Buckingham Palace' despite $491m renovation
Prince William and Kate 'won't want to live at Buckingham Palace' despite $491m renovation
Charlotte Foster, Charl Wright Sat, May 16, 2026 at 7:44 AM UTC
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The Prince and Princess of Wales's primary residence is Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park (Image: Samir Hussein, Samir Hussein/WireImagevia Getty Images)
Buckingham Palace has long stood as a symbol of the British monarchy, occupying a prominent position in the heart of London and attracting millions of visitors annually from every corner of the world.
The late Queen Elizabeth spent the majority of her reign residing at the London landmark before spending her final years at Windsor. However, as the next generation of royals assumes greater responsibilities, it appears that both the King and Queen, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, feel less of a pull toward Buckingham Palace and would rather call somewhere else home.
Charles and Camilla are primarily based at Clarence House, while William and Kate are establishing their lives in Windsor.
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In recent years, Buckingham Palace has undergone an extensive renovation project, costing $491 million (£369 million) in taxpayer funds. According to certain royal insiders, once the refurbishment is complete, the Palace will essentially become "Monarchy HQ," with senior royals residing elsewhere, reports the Mirror.
Royal expert Richard Eden told the Daily Mail that a source said, "Buckingham Palace will be used for royal events. There will be investitures, receptions, and banquets, but the King and Queen won't sleep there."
King Charles and Queen Camilla live in Clarence House, not Buckingham Palace (Image: AP)
Interior designer Nicky Haslam, a longtime friend of Camilla, also told the MailOnline that it would be a serious error for the King and Queen not to reside at the palace at some point down the line.
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"Turning Buckingham Palace into an office is wrong. Period," he said. "William won't use it either. It stops Buckingham Palace being the jewel in the crown... If people think it's an office, they won't go there."
Last November, the Prince and Princess of Wales relocated to their "forever home" at Forest Lodge on the Windsor estate, a short drive from their previous residence at Adelaide Cottage and close to Windsor Castle.
The Wales family also has access to Anmer Hall, a 10-bedroom property on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, as well as an apartment in Kensington Palace for official functions.
William and Kate with their three children (L-R): Charlotte, George, and Louis (Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
In 2025, royal expert Ingrid Seward told HELLO! magazine, "William was never going to move into Buckingham Palace. He has never had any fondness for it, and he probably hasn't spent much time there.
"But that was then, and this is now. Maybe Buckingham Palace will open to the public all year round, rather than only in the summer, and they will use Windsor Castle for banquets."
A 2025 YouGov poll found that the majority of Brits did not want their taxpayer money directed toward the decade-long renovation of the Palace that has been underway since 2017.
Some 56 percent of respondents said they didn't believe the British Government should be contributing to the costly refurbishment project, compared to just 29 percent - less than one-third - who felt that taxpayers should be footing the bill for the works.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
