The Queen Is Permanently Moving Out Of Buckingham Palace, Reports Say

Since 1837, following the accession of Queen Victoria, Buckingham Palace has been the primary residence for British monarchs. But not for long. On Mar. 6, The Sunday Times reported that Queen Elizabeth II has decided to make Windsor Castle her permanent home for now.

Having spent much of lockdown at Windsor with her late husband Prince Philip, the move is reportedly rooted in the happy times they spent there together. According to the i’s sourcesthe Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh “rediscovered the happiness of their early years together” after relocating to their Windsor residence during lockdown. The Windsor estate is also a short drive away from two of the Queen’s children:Prince Edward, who lives at Bagshot Park, and Prince Andrew, who lives at the Royal Lodge.

Windsor holds great significance to the Queen beyond her shared memories with Prince Philip though, as it was her childhood home also. Per the BBC, the monarch spent the majority of her childhood there with Princess Margaret during the Second World War as it was deemed to be safer than living in London. “It was a place that was very much home to the Queen and to her sister for a very long time,” royal biographer Christopher Warwick said, “and it cemented the emotions and attachment that she has to a place she loves so dearly.”

The Sunday Times also noted that a 10-year refurbishment of Buckingham Palace is currently underway, which could be another reason for the move. “The re-servicing does not end until 2027,” a source told the newspaper. “While ongoing, it is not really a place to stay long-term.”

While the Queen will reportedly still make day trips to the Palace, it’s rumoured that Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will move there instead. They currently reside in Clarence House, but Charles is supposedly “firmly of the view that [Buckingham Palace] is the visible symbol of the monarchy in the nation’s capital and therefore must be his home,” per the Daily Mail.