After spending two years working from home at the 1,000-year-old castle, the 95-year-old monarch will make Windsor Castle her permanent residence. She spent most of the lockdown there with Prince Phillip and now she is thought to prefer the historical home. Her Majesty would be able to spend more time with her late husband, who is buried in the Royal vault in Windsor Chapel.
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Nostalgia is beautiful
When the Queen and Prince Philip relocated to Windsor during the Covid-19 outbreak, insiders say they rediscovered the joys of their early years together. Before Prince Philip died in April 2021 at the age of 99, they shared the palace as their last home together. According to The Sunday Times, the relocation is also thought to have been inspired by a 10-year makeover of Buckingham Palace, which makes it impractical for the Queen to live there at this time. Buckingham Palace is currently undergoing a £369 million renovations to replace electrical, plumbing, and heating systems installed in the 1950s. Speaking to The Times, a royal source said:
The reservicing does not end until 2027. While ongoing, it is not really a place to stay long-term.
Living in Windsor would allow the Queen to return to the noise and bustle of London for occasional engagements while also keeping her out of the way of the construction. She isn't believed to have stayed at the palace since March 2020. The Queen has grown to prefer life at Windsor, where she used to spend her weekends. Royal author Hugo Vickers confirmed:
Windsor is the place she loves. She has her memories with Prince Philip there, she has her ponies there and family nearby. It makes sense.
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Charles’ way
Despite his preference for Clarence House, it is expected that future King Charles will take up residence in the palace. When he takes over, the Prince of Wales is rumoured to want to keep his mother's house as monarchy HQ. As he ushers in a new age for the royals, he also intends to open up Buckingham Palace and other sites to the public. However, it was revealed last month that he will move into the palace under the current succession plan. A source said that he 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.
