Queen Elizabeth May Never Move Back to Buckingham Palace
Queen Elizabeth may never again call Buckingham Palace her permanent residence. After spending much of the past two years at Windsor Castle, the 95-year-old monarch is said to have "no plans" to return to Buckingham Palace, Her Majesty instead favoring the Berkshire-located royal residence as her new permanent home.
Located about 20 miles outside of London, Windsor Castle throughout the queen's 70-year reign previously only served as her weekend home and her residence for Easter and Royal Ascot week in June. Although the queen relocated to the residence when the pandemic hit in March 2020, it was largely believed she would return to the iconic London palace once the pandemic ended. However, The Sunday Times reported on March 6 that amid the ongoing pandemic and the current state of the world, the queen "has changed her mind, now feeling more comfortable at the castle where she lived with Prince Philip until his death last April." Now, according to the outlet, the queen has "no plans" to settle back into her London home.
The queen's love for Windsor Castle is well known. Back in 2016, royal biographer Christopher Warwick told the BBC that "Windsor "was a place that was very much home to the queen and to her sister for a very long time, and that cemented the emotions and attachment that she has to a place she loves dearly." Her Majesty, along with her father and month, spent much of her childhood at the castle, and she and her sister, the late Princess Margaret, moved to Windsor Castle during World War II, according to the Independent. The queen's husband is also buried on the grounds in Windsor. When the queen passes, she and Philip will be buried together in Windsor in King George VI's memorial chapel.
The queen's Windsor residence is also closely located to other members of the royal family. Her son, Prince Andrew, lives in Royal Lodge, which is located on the royal estate. Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex also live nearby. Just last year, the Mail on Sunday reported that Prince William and Kate Middleton were looking for a new country home located closer to Windsor.
Buckingham Palace has not confirmed the report. If the update in the queen's permanent residence is true, then it means that the next royal family members set to take up residence at Buckingham Palace will be Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Although the two currently reside at their longtime London residence of Clarence House, they reportedly plan to relocate to Buckingham Palace once Charles becomes king.