Her decision to move out of Buckingham palace permanently means her eldest son, Prince Charles, 73, will likely be the next resident of the palace when he becomes king.
Queen Elizabeth II is moving out of the iconic Buckingham Palace for good, a source revealed to Us Weekly.
The 95-year-old monarch, who called the palace home during her record-breaking 70-year reign, has decided to permanently reside in her weekend home, Windsor Castle, according to the Times of London.
She has been living in Windsor Castle since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Now, instead of returning to Buckingham Palace once the pandemic subsides, she will make Windsor Castle her full-time home.
Windsor Castle is where the Queen spent her final moments with her late husband Prince Phillip. “The positive thing to have come out of it is that the queen and Prince Philip have spent more time together in the last year — because of COVID, they’ve both been forced to stay at Windsor Castle,” royal expert Andrew Morton told Us Weekly in April 2021. “They were two unique people and only they knew what it was like to be them. They were in unique circumstances, they shared things.”
A major change of address! Queen Elizabeth II is moving out of Buckingham Palace — for good. https://t.co/DivwEI0oNk
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) March 7, 2022
“She has her memories with Prince Philip there, she has her ponies there and family nearby. It makes sense,” one of her acquaintances, royal author and deputy lord lieutenant of Berkshire Hugo Vickers, said.
According to PEOPLE, a spokesman at Buckingham Palace did not comment on the report. But the Queen is continuing to carry out a variety of engagements and official duties, and a royal source stressed that Buckingham Palace will remain the central base of the monarchy.
By moving to Windsor Palace, the Queen is closer to key family members there, which includes her scandal-scarred middle son, Prince Andrew, who lives with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson on the Windsor estate, along with youngest son Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex staying a short drive away. Both sons have been frequent visitors to Windsor during the past few years.
Her decision to move out of Buckingham palace permanently means her eldest son, Prince Charles, 73, will likely be the next resident of the palace when he becomes king, the paper noted.
However, the Buckingham Palace balcony will also serve as the central site for the annual Trooping the Colour parade, which celebrates the Queen's honorary birthday in June.
References:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-queen-makes-permanent-move-to-windsor-castle-v3pfd8cxk
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by John Stillwell | WPA Pool
