Buckingham Palace plans major reshuffle of royal houses when Prince Charles becomes King

After Queen Elizabeth II announced that Duchess Camilla will be known as the Queen Consort when Prince Charles takes over the throne, Buckingham Palace has started planning other changes that would take place after the change of monarchs. One of the major changes would be the reshuffling of royal residences, under which Charles is expected to move into Buckingham Palace.

Though the Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, have their primary residence at Clarence House in London, it is traditional for the British monarch to live at Buckingham Palace. The 775-room building has been used by monarchs ever since Queen Victoria, the last woman to occupy the throne before the current Queen, used it as her official residence in 1837.

The Queen and her late husband Prince Philip had to also move from Clarence House to the iconic palace when she took over the throne. However, there have been speculations in recent years that the official residence of the British monarch would be converted into a "working hub" for the monarchy and would be opened up more to the public as a visitor attraction with no members of the royal family members living in it.

According to a report in Mail Online, Prince Charles does not agree with these plans and is "firmly of the view that it's the visible symbol of the monarchy in the nation's capital and therefore must be his home." A source told the outlet, "There is no question about it. HRH's view is that you need a monarch at monarchy HQ. This has never been in doubt."

The building is currently undergoing a massive renovation worth £369 million, funded by taxpayers. Its electrical cabling, plumbing, and heating, which have not been updated since the 1950s, will be refurbished. Every room of the building is expected to go into complete overhaul to prevent long-term damage to the historical structure and its contents.

All members of the royal family, including the Queen, have moved out for the renovation which is expected to be completed in 2027.

However, Prince Charles is determined to move back into his childhood home after he becomes King, contrary to reports that he has decided not to relocate when the time comes. A source said, "The Prince of Wales will not move into Buckingham Palace before he is king. But when he is, he absolutely will. Just like the Queen, it will effectively be in the 'flat above the shop'. He feels it is right, just as the Queen does, to work out of Buckingham Palace."

The insider added, "The Palace will still be a working and entertaining hub and will also still be open to visitors. It is a hugely important tourist attraction. But the prince can still live there at the same time, much like he does at Highgrove, which is also open to the public."

The Queen will also leave behind her Berkshire residence Windsor Castle, and sources believe that it would be ultimately inherited by her grandson Prince William, next in line to the throne after Prince Charles. The Duke of Cambridge currently has his primary residence at Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace where he lives with his wife Kate Middleton and their three children Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three.

Clarence House, which would be empty once Charles and Camilla move into Buckingham Palace, is expected to be occupied by one of William and Kate's children when they become adults.