Royal residences and houses are usually the place of dreams. The names Buckingham Palace, Windsor and Balmoral evoque gilded walls and gorgeous looking sofas. However, royal residences also have a certain reputation. Over the centuries, some have been known to be cold, others windy and some royals downright refuse to live somewhere due to how the place feels.
Discover our latest podcast
For instance, at the moment, King Charles continues to reside at Clarence House even though the monarch’s official house is Buckingham Palace. It is reported that once renovation is completed at the Palace, the King and Queen will be moving there but the construction work may not be the sole reason for his reluctance to move.
Over the years, it is reported that Buckingham Palace has become known in the Royal Family as an office more than a family residence. Moreover, King Charles and the Queen spent a significant amount of time renovating Clarence House to their taste. Now, royal residences are in the spotlight and it has absolutely nothing to do with monarchs and history—here's what's happening.
Demonstration at Holyroodhouse
The Royal Family’s relationship with Scotland and Scots have always been a little complicated. In 2023, Scotland even became the place for demonstrations against the monarchy.
In July 2023, King Charles held what was referred to as his second coronation in Scotland. However, reality is that during Holyrood Week, Scotland recognised the coronation of King Charles and celebrated the event with several ceremonies. This included the Royal Procession to St Giles’ Cathedral where the King was presented with the Honours of Scotland which do include a crown.
Though the ceremony looked beautiful, it was also marked by large demonstrations against the monarchy. And now, on 19 February, Holyroodhouse has become the place for further demonstration. But this time, it is not directly linked to the monarchy.
Sky News reports that on that day, at around 1.15pm, nine protesters entered the palace with banners that read: ‘the people are mightier than a lord’ and ‘change begins in the kitchen, not the boardroom’.
The demonstrators proceeded to cross the barrier which usually holds visitors away from the furniture and ‘sat at the table, and started eating food out of tupperware and drinking tea from flasks they brought.’
The protesters belong to This is Rigged which is calling for food prices to go down. Sky News explains that the group is requesting ‘supermarkets to slash the cost of baby formula to March 2021 prices and wants the Scottish government to fully fund and bring in a community food hub per every 500 households in Scotland’.
Sandringham damaged by vandals
Unfortunately for the Royal Family, the protest at Holyroodhouse is not the first unusual event to happen this month. On 15 February, Mirror reported that ‘police have launched an investigation’ as a football pitch on Sandringham Estate was vandalised. It is understood that, at the time, the monarch and the consort were just mere miles away at Wood Farm.
According to Mirror, the vandals ‘killed grass’ on the football pitch using weed killers. The incident is believed to have happened earlier in February 2024.
Wood Farm and the Sandringham Estate is where members of the Royal Family usually go to enjoy some peace and quiet. For instance, Prince Philip is believed to often choose Wood Farm after he retired from public duties. The farm also enjoys close proximity to St Magdalene’s Church which hosts the Royal Family’s annual Christmas Service.
Read more:
⋙ Prince Harry: Royal experts reveal why his meeting with King Charles was only 45 minutes
⋙ A former Royal house is for sale and it could be yours for just £3.5 million
⋙ Royal family: The reality of living in royal homes is not as glamorous as you think
Sources:
TIME Magazine: King Charles Is Having a ‘Second Coronation’ in Scotland. Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Sky News: Palace of Holyroodhouse: Food activists from This Is Rigged occupy royal dining room in Edinburgh
Mirror: King Charles' Sandringham estate vandalised by cruel thugs as he recovers from cancer treatment
