Prince of Wales and the eldest son Queen Elizabeth II wants to enhance public access to royal spaces, as reported by The Sunday Times. When Prince Charles ascends to the throne, he wants royal places to go from ‘private spaces to public places.’ This transition would include making royal spaces such as Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, Windsor Castle, Sandringham and Balmoral available to the public.
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The heir to the throne is in conversation with the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and other Royals regarding his plans to open up spaces for the public. Further, he also wants to see these Royal residences welcome the public for a longer time during the year. However, the established summer opening of the Buckingham Palace has been cancelled twice in a row due to COVID-19.
When and why it started
Buckingham Palace was first opened to the public in 1993 on August 7. Since then, people have been able to get a glimpse of the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the UK and the London residence. This was done in agreement with Queen Elizabeth II to raise money to repair the Windsor castle that was damaged by fire.
This ritual that allows people to visit Buckingham Palace when the Queen is not at the residence has been running strong ever since 1993. Usually, the palace is open in summers during July to October when the Queen is on an annual break. The prices differ for different categories and can be booked through the Royal Collection Trust (RCT).
Access for longer periods
Before the coronavirus Pandemic, parts of royal residences were open to the public but, only during a fixed time. However, Prince Charles would want the Buckingham palace and the gardens to be accessible for the public throughout the year. This would include the times he is at the residence. The report came in after April, when there was a high public demand for the tickets to picnic on Buckingham Palace lawns and explore the gardens.
Apparently due to the widespread popularity of the most tourist loved the spot, the RCT had to temporarily stop taking new bookings. Thousands of UK citizens logged onto the website in pursuit of getting the tickets after the self-guided garden tours had started. Thus, Prince Charles wants to open up spaces for more time to meet the high demand and interest of the public.
