analysis
The Queen’s move: Prince Charles’ reign casts its shadow ahead
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles have a special relationship because one day he will succeed her on the throne
© Sang Tan/WPA Pool / Getty Images
The Queen will not return to Buckingham Palace: What sounds like a side note is the beginning of a new era. Because the next residents will be Prince Charles and Princess Camilla.
The report from Saturday evening is not surprising: According to information from the “Sunday Times”, Queen Elizabeth will give up her residence in Buckingham Palace and live permanently in Windsor Castle. In addition to her summer at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and longer stays at Sandringham Castle, it is primarily Windsor where the 95-year-old resides. There, almost 30 kilometers from London, she spent one of the most important years with Prince Philip: his last. Many Royal reporters explained that the couple became really close again in lockdown in Windsor. They had spent many months in different places over the past decades. And were happy with it. But no doubt the Queen will have been grateful to have been with him during the last year of her beloved Philips’ life.
This will not change in the future either. The prince’s ashes rest in the crypt at Windsor Castle and this may be another reason why the Queen is reluctant to return to London. In addition to the move, it is said that the monarch mainly wants to work from the home office. This means that audiences will probably increasingly be held via webcam. The Queen has already done this regularly during the pandemic to avoid contagion.
Prince Charles will now also publicly represent the British monarchy
If the Queen withdraws further, it also means that heir to the throne Charles will have more responsibility. The transfer of power has been underway for a number of years and with the Queen’s departure it is now becoming visible to all. In the past, the Queen regularly made investitures in Buckingham Palace and awarded medals and made deserving people knights or ladies, but Charles and William in particular have recently done so. Princess Anne was also allowed to hold the ceremonies. The next generation and the one after that can now step into the front row and make their mark.
A few weeks ago, English media reported that Charles and Camilla would move from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace when he ascended the throne. The palace in the heart of London has been the official seat of British monarchs since the 19th century. And this tradition is probably continued by King Charles and Queen Camilla, albeit with a smaller court.
Because not only Charles is currently coordinating his future, but also William. According to media reports, the number 2 in line to the throne is looking for a new home – near Windsor. Word has it that the prince and wife Kate are looking to trade their permanent residence at Kensington Palace for an estate in the country. Your offices in London were therefore preserved. Another sign of movement in the British royal family is that the balance is shifting. It’s no secret that William places great value on his grandmother’s experience and guidance. Even as a teenager, when he visited Eton, he was a regular visitor to the Queen. The two will soon be able to continue this tradition.