Queen Elizabeth II never really wanted to leave Clarence House in the first place but her duty towards the crown required her to move to Buckingham Palace.
Earlier last month Queen, Elizabeth II tragically lost her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip. Now it is said that her Majesty is not likely to return to Buckingham Palace; instead, she would choose to reside permanently at the Windsor Castle. While it's a dream for most to live the royal life at Buckingham Palace, it was never something that the Queen wanted, according to Honey Nine.
Royal biographer Penny Junor reported in her book, The Firm, that shortly after the Queen's father, King George VI, died, and she became the queen, she expressed her wish to continue living at the Clarence House. Currently, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are residing there. But it was Sir Winston Churchill who apparently pushed her to move into Buckingham Palace.
"None of them wanted to go," wrote Junor. "They loved Clarence House; it was a family home, but Winston Churchill, who was then Prime Minister, insisted upon it." Now that the monarch's husband has passed away, the 95-year-old has reportedly chosen to stay at Windsor Castle rather than Buckingham Palace.
Queen Elizabeth II stayed in Windsor Castle for most of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. In light of the health crisis, she reduced her stays at the Buckingham Palace, visiting only when there were important meetings and later switching to video calls to attend them. It's believed that her Majesty will spend her summer holidays at Balmoral and the festive season at Sandringham. That being said, royal staff have reportedly been informed that moving forward, Windsor Castle will be the Queen's permanent home.
One of the reasons behind her Majesty's decision could be the fact that Windsor Castle was the place where her beloved husband spent his remaining days. The Queen's unbound love for her husband is no secret to the public. They have spent a lifetime together, with a love spanning more than 70 years.
The Queen and Prince Philip first met when they were 13 and 18 respectively. "She fell in love, and she never looked at anyone else," revealed biographer Sally Bedell Smith according to PEOPLE magazine. There were many hurdles on the way for the couple as her Majesty was the daughter of England's King George VI, while Philip was the nephew of a deposed king of Greece and was living in exile.
Despite this, they began courting, and their love blossomed into something beautiful. Eventually, they married each other in 1947. But less than six years after their wedding, she was crowned as the British monarch and Philip's career in the Royal Navy came to an end. "Prince Philip took on the unlikely role of champion to his wife, and became both mother and father to their children, allowing the queen to deal with the requirements of her position," noted royal biographer, Ingrid Seward, as cited by The Washington Post.
As years went by, her love for Prince Philip had only grown. "Even after seven decades the Queen’s face lights up when Philip enters a room," wrote Seward. But the couple was about to be hit with another storm of accusations. Netflix's hit drama series The Crown insinuated that Philip was less than faithful to his wife.
He had a very active social life and would often spend time with his friends at exclusive men's clubs, which eventually led to the rumors of his infidelity. However, they managed to resolve their issues privately while confronting the world together, bravely throughout their long partnership. Ultimately, they knew how much they loved and cared for each other in their own way.
References:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/04/09/love-story-philip-elizabeth/
Cover image source: Getty | Photo by Aaron Chown
