Why did Queen Elizabeth LEAVE Buckingham Palace? Monarch no longer calls it home
Queen Elizabeth is no longer calling Buckingham Palace home, a new report claims. It appears that the aging monarch will now spend the rest of her reign at Windsor Castle, where she moved to in 2020 at the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, the move was supposed to be temporary, in order to allow the Queen to be serviced by a smaller bubble of staff.
However, challenges have meant the Queen has been forced to reside at the Berkshire residence longer than originally planned. She suffered a series of health scares in recent months, including contracting Covid-19 in February. It is also the final home of Prince Phillip, who passed away at 99 in April 2021. Those reasons, along with the logistical challenges of running Buckingham Palace may have played a role in the decision.
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Windsor Castle, while smaller and less secure appears to hold a special place in the Queen's heart. In December 2021, an intruder broke into the grounds in an attempt to kill the Queen but was apprehended well before he got anywhere near the monarch. Despite that small security blip, it appears that the Queen has decided to make Windsor her permanent home.
Why is the Queen leaving Buckingham Palace?
As mentioned above, several factors have played a role in the decision. For one, the move will make it easier for staff to limit the spread of Covid-19, given that Windsor only requires a fraction of the staff that Buckingham Palace requires. Secondly, the Palace is undergoing refurbishment currently, an expensive affair that has seen costs balloon over the past year.
However, it appears there's also a major emotional reason for the decision - Prince Phillip. The Queen's husband died at Windsor Castle and is buried there, so it seems logical she would want to be close to him. "She has her memories with Prince Philip there, she has her ponies there and family nearby. It makes sense," noted royal author Hugo Vickers. A close acquaintance of the Queen, Vickers added that the Queen is also closer to Prince Andrew, who also lives on the Windsor estate.
The news means that Prince Charles will be the next resident of the Palace when he takes over as the king. Charles has in the past committed to keeping the Palace as "monarchy HQ", even though he himself prefers to reside at Clarence House, also in London. It is important to note that the news has not been confirmed by Buckingham Palace but certainly appears to be true.
In March, the Queen met the Canadian Prime Minister at Windsor Castle, her first official visit from a head of state since the pandemic. She has also been conducting most of her business from the castle and hasn't returned to London since the pandemic.